White Wings and Black Sheets
by FluffyGlitterPantsDragon
Summary: (COMPLETE) M/F, M/M, M/M/F - Chloe and Lucifer have fallen in with one another but feelings of inadequacy plague her. She has an idea of how to fix the problem, but it brings in a whole new set of issues. Wing Reveal, Case Fic, Language and smut - NOTE: This version is the same as my Archive of Our Own edition, slightly edited. Eventual OT3, maybe more.
1. Flowers for the Detective

Dan leaned into his ex over her desk. "You know I'm happy for you right?"

Chloe turned up from her paperwork and froze. Her next words came out too fast. "I don't know what you mean."

He cocked his head. "C'mon, the little touches, the way you aren't screaming at each other across the bullpen?"

"Maybe I just like him more than I used to. And maybe he's a decent partner now. Most of the time."

He dragged a chair over, sat reverse on it with his arms crossed over the top. "Did I say 'Lucifer'?"

"Shush. Don't you have anything else to do?"

"I think you're an idiot, but I'm glad you're getting this thing out of your system."

Her blue eyes on him ran cold. "What do you mean?"

Dan shivered involuntarily. It was fun to prod his ex without consequences. Well, serious ones. They already divorced, so what more could she do?

His mouth twitched and he gave her a fake shrug. "You finally gave in to Lucifer's sex-god powers. It's okay. I mean, so did half of everyone here, and they don't seem unhappy about it." Dan couldn't resist the extra dig to remind her that the guy's dick has been literally everywhere.

A tendon in her neck spasmed. "Half?"

"Easily.", he dropped his voice conspiratorially. "And you know how many people here are married."

Chloe reddened. "He doesn't sleep with anyone if they don't want it. I mean, it doesn't help anything, sure."

"He's a man-whore."

She grumbled. "He is not a- I mean, okay, he's a little crazy, but-"

With supreme effort, Dan kept his amusement in check. "Yeah?"

His ex-wife blushed furiously. Oh yeah, he pegged them alright.

Chloe tapped her stack of neglected files on the top of her desk to straighten them, glaring daggers. "What do you want, Dan?"

"Look, I'm just saying, if you don't want everyone to know you finally shagged the Devil, to use his term, maybe quit smiling at him. The rest of us are used to you barely putting up with him."

She flushed red to the gills, adorably. He had a good idea of how far down that blush went when she got angry.

She hissed under her breath, "What's wrong with everyone knowing?"

He softened a little. "Chlo', I just don't want to see you disappointed when he doesn't keep after you. Everyone he's shamelessly seduced knew it wouldn't last longer than a night. It's a miracle we haven't had a scene in the station over it."

"That doesn't mean it had to be a one-time thing, and it's only been a few days."

"It's not like he's going to stop with you. And if this isn't a one-time thing, we both should be setting a good example-"

"Don't you dare!"

"Well?"

She huffed. "You know, even for a…him, he's not a bad guy."

"Oh, no, he just won't drop the Devil shtick. Ever. Trixie already adores him, but she'll be bouncing around school telling everyone how awesome 'Satan' is." He can see the teacher's notes now. At least Chloe will be the one dealing with them. It's not like he would be dating the Devil.

Her nostrils flared. "She's allowed to think for herself, you know."

"So are you going to tell her not to take her devil drawings to school? Her teachers were already a

little concerned before you ever got in bed with him."

She squinted. "You got a call?"

"They ran it by me after calling you, I guess."

"Yeah?"

"I told them I supported whatever decision you made."

She sat back, surprised. "I asked her not to make any more satanic drawings at school. Only at home."

"Okay, but let's not forget the rampant drug use." He jerked his thumb toward the back. "And his suspected raiding of the evidence room for said drugs."

She inclined her head. "Suspected."

"He's fast. I swear sometimes Lucifer doesn't show up on the internal security cameras. No one is trying to catch him stealing from the evidence room either. Everyone who works in there is wrapped around his little finger."

She leaned toward him, annoyed. "That's not proof. And he's kidding. Lucifer can't possibly go through a kilo of cocaine himself. Or a saline drip-bag of LSD."

Ella in passing, added, "Dude, that's way too much."

Dan conceded their Forensic Scientist had a point though. They were pretty sure he didn't sell drugs himself. Lucifer understood he'd be booted as a 'civilian consultant' from the LAPD if he got caught.

Chloe knew he used a variety of drugs recreationally from time to time, which was a problem for her. For most sane people, she hoped.

Lucifer always claimed he doesn't lie. He's had a tough time sticking to his fake roles or names any time he's sent undercover. Enthusiastically proclaiming how much he liked drugs had to be an exaggeration, but it had happened more than once.

Chloe sighed, picked up a new stack of papers on her desk and unnecessarily straightened them too. She needed to do something with her hands before she strangled her ex. "Look, I know he's not without complications. Some of them insane, but-" She floundered.

Dan leaned away with a sly grin. "But he's great in the sack, am I right?"

If looks could kill, he'd have been dead decades ago, no question.

She growled at nothing. "I am not discussing my love life with you. I don't even see how this is any of your business, especially if-" Her gaze caught his pale eyes. "Wait."

Uh oh. "What?"

She planted a finger on his collarbone, not breaking eye contact. "You know, don't you?"

Shit. "Uh."

"You slept with Lucifer!" she hissed.

He ducked closer to her face, "At least I know how not to broadcast it."

"When?"

Dan shifted in his chair. "C'mon."

"Let's hear it." She got that face. The stubborn one.

"He came on to me, okay? I thought he was joking, and it turned out-I thought I called his bluff, okay. And then it turned out not to be a bluff." He shrugged as casually as possible, which was not at all. "I mean, obviously, he hadn't led anyone else on either, but I didn't think he meant it, especially after the way he reacted over Charlotte. This is me, here."

Her lips flattened. She waited.

Dan scratched his neck. "I'm not going to get out of this, am I?"

"Nope."

"He said he would 'grant me the best blow job I've ever had in my life'. I mean, I turned him down. But you know Lucifer; he's relentless when he has to prove a point." And his lips don't make promises they couldn't keep. "The next day, the two of us were working on a case near his club and uh, one thing led to another..."

Dan was suddenly warm and uncomfortable. Suddenly hyper-aware of *who* precisely waited on the other end of the conversation. He stopped cold. The air became unbreathable.

"And?"

Oh shit.

"And. Uh. It was NOT the best blow job ever. Nope."

Chloe nodded with that flat-angry-nod thing she does. "It was, wasn't it?"

"..."

"..."

"...Maybe." It totally was.

"Oh, my God."

He had to get one last spike in. "Don't let Lucifer hear you say during sex." That shit did not fly with his Devilness.

She flat out abused her stack of papers in a death grip.

Worth it.

"He left me alone after that and started pursuing someone else. Of course, Lucifer still messes with me, but the sex really was a one-time thing." Dan would take it to his grave that maybe he wouldn't mind all that much if Lucifer had kept after him. He didn't volunteer that he had the best breakfast of his life too.

He nudged her shoulder. "I mean, can you honestly tell me that whatever you and he did wasn't better than our craziest night together?" Not that it wouldn't hurt to hear it.

"I haven't decided yet."

"You haven't decided that he's the best thing that ever happened to your-"

"You remember when we were trying for Trixie? That was better."

Ouch. Double ouch. But also, in your face, Devil! "So, you're saying I could teach him a few-"

Chloe shook her head. "No. Emotional attachment matters, Dan. And I'd like to have that with

Lucifer."

"Along with dating a sex-god?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not why it happened." She paused. "I don't want this to be a one-time thing,

whatever this is right now."

"And you trust him not to have sex with a million other people while he's with you?"

"Yeah, I kinda do." Her throat moved. "Maybe it'll be too much to ask, but I hope not. We've known him for a while now, Dan. He turned me down before. I don't think he'd take me now if he didn't want to kick out the Brittany's."

"When did he turn you down?"

"Never mind."

"I'm still kind of amused I had sex with him before you. It'll be his loss if he doesn't close off his apartment to his parade of previous partners and you have to dump him."

"That's actually very nice of you to say, in a weird way."

Dan looked around the bullpen. "Where is he anyway? Doesn't he usually turn up any time someone is talking about him?"

Roses in a vase full to overflowing, mashed lightly into Dan's face.

A nervous courier looked around them. "I have a delivery for Detective Chloe Decker?"

Her face lit up and she plucked up the card. "I bet the Devil never sent you flowers, Dan."

No…no he did not.

Dan never sent any one person that many roses in his life.

Which, he considered, might be a problem.

* * *

Chloe re-organized her case files for the ninth time that hour, finally putting the vase of roses on top of a file cabinet because she couldn't work with the thing on her desk.

She gave up and texted Lucifer.

C: Why didn't you tell me about Dan?

L: I've said for ages he's a douche.

C: No, why didn't you tell me about you and him?

L: Water under the bridge, love. Does it matter?

She put the phone down and glared at the roses, picked the phone up again. This was not a conversation she should be having over text. God. Lucifer and Dan.

L: You knew I wouldn't lie about it.

C: I guess I hoped you would.

Her and Dan's intimate history wasn't that far in the past. When they started to split up, make-up sex happened a few times. Well, attempted make-up sex. He had a goofy orgasm face. Hell. Lucifer saw it. Or maybe not if he was busy sucking Dan's cock.

is not something I have a right to be bitter about.

Lucifer looked damn good on his knees, she could attest to that personally.

He must be reading her mind.

L: Are you looking for salacious dirty little details? You must already know all his ins and outs.

She blushed, burying an old fantasy creeping up the back of her skull from her lizard brain. She was a teenage wild child with raging hormones and had spent every year after she turned 20 by being a damn adult. She'd never regret 'Hot Tub High School', but she still felt like she had to make up for it.

L: Oh! Detective! You are, aren't you? (Devil face emoji)

C: What? No! And don't you dare call me a minx.

L: Come over tonight, and I promise you won't be thinking about him.

She wanted to. Lucifer's attention on her that first night was everything he ever promised.

C: I can't come tonight. Can I ask you something?

L: Anything.

Fuck it. She escaped her desk. She found an office closet and called him. He picked up immediately.

"Lucifer, are you busy?"

"For you, I'd stop the world on its axis."

"Are we…is this-"

"It's whatever you want it to be, love. I'm smitten. I trust the floral arrangement arrived?"

She smiled. "It did, thank you." She thought about how to put her thoughts back together. "I won't ask you about every past lover. I know you have a reputation."

"I may be a creature of habits, but I'm not chained to my base desires, as much fun as they are. Or were. Detective, I wanted to make it clear I want to see you again, as often as possible."

Her stomach pooled pleasantly full of heat. "Maybe I can put together another sleepover for Trixie…"

"Whenever you can. If not tonight, then soon, I hope."

His voice dipped into velvet.

If Dan had been this romantic they wouldn't have had as many problems. Well. Had he been, this wouldn't be happening now.

Maybe.

"Thank you, Lucifer. Soon, I promise. I want to see you again too." She rubbed her forehead. "I shouldn't have asked about Dan."

"You can ask anything you want. I can't promise you'll always want to hear the answers."

She chewed her lip. "No. Whatever happened, happened. And you didn't keep him."

"I didn't send him flowers either. How's your boring case?"

"Boring. Open and shut. You coming down here tomorrow?"

"Why, can you use me?"

Playfully, "Yeah, I need your hands."

"Oh, yes, Detective…" The burr in his voice dripped with promises.

"I have a ton of paperwork that needs doing. Dan is dragging his feet, and I could use an extra warm body with working appendages." She winced at mentioning Dan yet again, but the work was his responsibility too.

"I think I need to help you get your mind off your ex. Would it help if I said he's nearly useless in bed? But you must have known that too."

Ha.

And now she's thinking of them in bed together. In Lucifer's black satin covered bed and Lucifer doing all the work. Dammit. As of very recently, she knew how they both looked like post-sex. Tousled hair, taut abs you could bounce a quarter off of, just slightly sweaty. "Oddly enough, no, that wouldn't help." Dan used to sleep naked before Trixie got mobile enough to start busting the door down.

Of course, he plowed right on. "He tried to do this thing to me with his tongue, but really, he was a much better receiver than a giver."

And now there's that visual, right at the front of her brain. Lizards be damned. She knew how they both sounded in bed too.

"I mean, let's face it, hardly anyone can keep up with my stamina. I'd practically need the both of you even to have a chance of wearing me out."

Oh boy.

"Detective?"

"Gahh. Ineedtogobye."

Chloe's wild years made her very tempted to just rub one out in the closet real quick. But she has work to do. And she's a professional. Yup.

* * *

Dan nearly got hit in the face as the closet door swung open, and a red-faced Chloe sneaking out of it.

"Chloe?"

"WHAT?"

"Ooooo-kay then. I'm just gonna go in there and get some pens?" He did a double-take. "Did you…. just have phone sex with Lucifer?"

"No. No, I did not." She nodded, straightened her blouse and walked away.

use and walked away.


	2. In the Closet, Out of the Closet

The next night she made it over to Lucifer's place, the Devil really did take her mind off Dan. And he did a damn good job of it too. They were nearly late to work the next morning. Most mornings.

Lucifer made it very difficult to get out of bed. And not just because he made a game of picking her up as often as possible and dropping her back into it. Especially when she was busy looking for her pants.

Each and every visit never waned in intensity. Lucifer never failed her in his duties as a lover, repeatedly giving better than he got, in her opinion. Board game nights still happened, with added date nights. Sometimes he stayed over at her place instead, much to Trixie's eternal delight. Trixie got caught up in the delay-morning-routines-game, Lucifer scooping her up and dropping her too, with amusement replacing passion.

Naturally, Maze wanted to know everything. Chloe found herself actually dodging her roommate when just having Trixie present didn't do enough to keep the other woman from asking how often they did it. Trixie's old enough by now to 'know', but she didn't have to 'know'.

Honestly, Maze and Lucifer made quite the pair when it came to information sharing. Like they had no concept of personal boundaries. Maze often talked to Trixie like she's a short adult instead of a child not yet 10.

God. Trixie would hit double digits soon.

Chloe couldn't help feeling well out of Lucifer's league. She didn't have the background or experience he did when it came to, well, experience.

Younger, hotter women still hounded him. Her trust was validated, as far as she could tell. One such young woman got bounced from Lux permanently over her inability to deal with the Devil having a steady. In spite of Dan's warnings, Lucifer had barely even flirted with anyone anymore. His changes were almost weird.

A handsome male presence in her arms at night made very nice evenings. Plus the Devil turned out to be a cuddler. Some nights she would stay awake as long as she could just to keep feeling his arms wrapped around her. He could be contagiously energetic, or slow and warm and attentive.

She just wished he'd be a little less mobile.

Chloe would wake in his bed or even hers, and he'd always be up already. Lucifer either ended up checking his phone, the laptop, over in the kitchen or otherwise puttering around. He happily returned to her side, to fall asleep again curled up behind her, but he never stayed abed all night. She hadn't complained - yet. It was just. Odd. Like he didn't need sleep or much of it.

She only had to remind him once not to wander around the apartment naked during non-school hours. Luckily her daughter didn't get an eyeful that night and knocking on doors became strictly enforced. Which Maze totally ignored. Lucifer insisted it didn't bother him at all.

Maze insinuated more than once she wanted to watch. Surely she was joking.

Dan turned out to be right about one thing. He didn't drop the Devil thing in bed or out of it. As quirks go, it could still be endearing. Lucifer became thoughtful at work, kissed her often. Overall it had been a pretty fantastic month or two, even if he wouldn't stay out of her hair most of the time. She even caught him reading 'how to be a good boyfriend' articles online.

But something he said that first day bothered her.

On another quiet night, she lay against his bare chest, soaking up his warmth and basking in him, and he in her. It had been another long day at work, and he not only massaged her feet but everything else too. She couldn't complain. Shouldn't complain.

He stroked her hair like he was amazed he could, watching her start to fall asleep, both naked in his bed as they couldn't be at her place, lest a tiny 'spawn' come scampering in. Or freaking Maze. The ever-present ring being the only thing he never took off.

She felt pleasantly tiny in his warm, strong arms, protected.

"Lucifer?"

"Yes?" Fingers ran down her scalp to her hip, gliding through hair to skin. She shivered, burrowing into him. She couldn't get close enough to him. His nudity pressed solidly against hers and most wonderful thing in the world.

"Are you, you know, satisfied?"

"Very much so."

"I mean, sexually?" She dreaded asking, but...

"Of course, darling."

"But you're giving up multiple partners to be with me, right?" She knew he didn't begrudge it a bit, but she still wanted to say it, to ask. To hear him re-affirm it.

"All I need is you, love." His quiet, warm voice held no doubts. Probably never had.

She smiled, touching his face. "You said yourself; you need more than just me to wear you out." Chloe knew she sounded a little hurt, but tried not to. "And you don't lie."

"Detective!" Lucifer propped himself up, endless eyes scanning her face. "Maybe if desire quantity over quality!"

Chloe traced his chest. Quiet.

He leaned down and kissed her. "I'm not lying either when I said I only need you."

"What about want?"

"I've had half an eternity to fulfill wants."

Sigh.

"It's hard to give up though, isn't it?" She waited for him to drop the Devil thing, but it's still cute. "You're used to a certain lifestyle?"

"Chloe." He sighed, wrapping her up tightly in his arms. She squeezed back. "You really don't have to worry about it." His body heat enfolded her and held her. Like her own personal body conforming blanket. Her soul buzzed with his closeness. Completeness. When he used her name instead of 'Detective', he tried to reassure her.

Her light blue eyes sought his endless dark ones."You worry about what I want. If I'm satisfied. You go out of your way to make sure I am. And it's wonderful. But I feel like you're being neglected. You spend time with me, and Trixie and you even put up with her hugs better than you used to."

"Because I want to."

"What if I want to do that for you?"

He pondered her. "Are we discussing you, or I?"

She deflated, curling into him. "I want to wear you out until you can't see straight. You have driven my body to the point of passing out after doing amazing things to and with me. I can't make you come anywhere close to exhaustion, even when we use half the night. I want to see you as entirely spent as I am after lovemaking."

She kissed his pecs, turning herself on a little with the thought process. "I want to see you... as unable to walk as me."

Lucifer hugged her. "So we are talking about your desires."

"Hm?" Were they?

He grinned into her hair. "I've stated my case - I don't need another partner, of the police variety or otherwise. And you do seem to want to be present for this little experiment. I had a feeling you were holding back something interesting, Detective."

Did he entertain her idea? Right. Devil. She surprised herself a little. "Yeah, I do." her chest tightening in a way it hadn't in years, but where had fear ever gotten her?

"I can't say I'd prefer to share what's mine."

She found the guarded jealousy in his voice arousing.

"You know you're enough. You'll always be enough. If you come to your senses and leave me, I'd more likely drink myself under the table than throw more orgies. Well, for a few hundred years, anyway." Lucifer's prickly face nuzzled her neck, raising hairs. He climbed on top of her to prove his point. And what a nice point it was. She nestled into his length, her feet short of his, pulling up one claiming leg around his. He didn't try for another round of seduction, just 'being' here, his weight on her, strong arms under her shoulders, just touching skin to skin.

"Hmmmmm." She kissed his forehead. This part right here is what she didn't want to share.

Then again, Dan would probably just pass out himself and miss any cuddle time.

Wait, Dan?

Well, they both knew him. He was discreet enough that she had no idea he and Lucifer had ever fooled around.

She messed up his hair, wildly loosing some curls, her most recent favorite past time. "I don't know how to do these kinds of things."

"Well, if we're talking practicality, another man would work best. One or two women, or adding Maze, might do. But-" He hesitated.

Chloe covered her face with her hands "But that didn't drain you before?" She peeked out of her fingers. His face confirmed it. She had to get over his past adventures if this - with or without her idea - would work. And she really wanted it to. She did want to see him as gloriously sexually exhausted and quivering as he made her.

Regardless, "I don't want it to be someone I that I feel like I'll be competing with." She held her finger up. "No matter what you might say about competition, I need it for my own brain." Much like the sitch itself.

Lucifer nodded, flopping back down. "You watch porn?"

Chloe blushed in spite of herself. "I.. not recently."

"Detective, I found your browsing history. Quite interesting. Your definition of 'recently' raises some questions." He kissed her neck.

"Hey!"

"You gave me your laptop password."

"Well, yes, but."

"We both have accounts on that one site." grinning mischievously. His lips strayed to her collarbone.

"Oh, my G- Okay, so you saw my 'favorites.' Since when do you need to watch porn?" She could feel her blush to her hair roots.

"Darling, no one needs to watch porn. It's entertainment. Mostly to see what they get wrong. That said, I have a few signed collectibles - in packages - of some stars' products."

"You're kidding."

"Well, they were gifts, mostly. I-"

"Nevermind." She pulled the sheet over her head. "I don't want to know that part."

Lucifer smoothed a hand up her body over the satin, earning a twitch. His fingers slid into void black dips made by the rise of her breasts. She relaxed her hold but didn't drop it. He persisted in proving the inadequacy of a satin barrier between them with fingertips.

"So, what ideas do you have knocking around in that beautiful, dirty mind of yours?"

Did she want him to be completely blissed out if she couldn't be solely responsible? She pulled down her fabric shield.

"Have you ever, do you get jealous?"

"Well, I haven't had you before. Could be a first time for everything." He kissed her nose, lips. Her knuckles where they still clutched the void black sheet. "As a rule, jealousy is destructive and is best avoided. For as long as I've been on earth, I've had my choice of humans. Well, mostly. I've never been particularly attached before."

"You never had a girlfriend?" She hesitated. "Boyfriend?"

"Never understood the need for restricting oneself to one lover. If you're really curious, I had a few regulars who have open relationships. All have been disappointed to lose me."

"Swingers?"

"Swingers implies marriage, so no. Otherwise committed individuals who don't heavily restrict access to their partner, usually with some loose rules."

Curiously, "They were looking to shake up the relationship?"

"Not even. It's an established non-boundary. Really, the sexual progress humans as a whole have managed to make in the last hundred years is like a breath of fresh air. Some of you still have your hang-ups though, to the point of remaining destructive of yourselves over silly things like the importance of the concept of virginity."

Chloe smiled into his warm, distracting lips. "So, I think I want to try something, but I need your okay to do it."

"Oh! Have you reconsidered giving pegging a go then?"

"No. Not until I can do more than three sit-ups without being sore the next day. Annnd maybe not then either. No, something else."

* * *

Chloe filed her cases into submission until her desk couldn't be any cleaner.

Would it be so awful if someone could just get murdered soon so they could have a case?

...Yes, yes it would. Get a grip, Chloe.

She got up, intending to hunt down Dan and get more coffee.

He bumped into her, jostling her luckily empty mug.

"Hey, Chlo. Sorry."

"Hey, do you have a second?"

"Sure, I need to talk to you about that weekend camp for Trixie anyway. Her teacher called and said I had to sign something too?"

"Sure, great, come with me."

Chloe dragged him into a nearby closet with an interesting history, flicking on the light and closing the door behind them. Locked it.

"Uh. I have a pen at my desk."

"I have a question for you."

"Sure?"

Chloe stared at him. Dan stared back, a dozen questions on his face.

Well, if this didn't work, she wouldn't try again. And if he said no, she'd pretend it never happened.

She stepped into him, tipping up her face to Dan's, kissing her ex-husband chastely. Very, very hesitantly, he kissed her back, touching her lightly at the ribs. He tensed against her and drew back before long.

General confusion never wandered far from Dan's natural state. A bit of hopefulness crept into his voice. "Uhm? Did you and Lucifer break up? 'Cause if you're looking for rebound sex, I volunteer as tribute?"

"No, we didn't break up." She didn't kiss him again, but didn't back away, testing her own emotions. Could she be okay with Lucifer kissing him? It made an arousing fantasy, sure, but fiction wasn't life.

Dan hadn't touched his ex-wife in a very long time. He felt less than eager to annoy anyone who claimed the title of 'Lord of Hell,' ex-Lord or otherwise.

"The last person I want really pissed off at me is Lucifer. Not that it wouldn't be entertaining for everyone else." He glanced around, half expecting said Devil would appear, throw the door in and toss him out a window as if it were made of foil.

"He's okay with this."

"How's that?"

Chloe breathed out. "Back when you had that thing with Lucifer, did you enjoy it?"

Dan stopped breathing. "Uh."

She waited, attempting to maintain a neutral expression.

"Is that the question you wanted to ask me?"

"Kinda."

"Why?" Dan blinked. "Wait, are you not enjoying sex with-"

Her voice lowered, "Oh no, we're having crazy good sex. It's just that.."

Dan sank into 'bemused' mode. "He's not as good with the ladies as he lets everyone believe? That would be hilarious."

Chloe swatted his shoulder. "Augh, no, I mean, you'd do it again, right? If he wanted to?"

"What? Sex with Lucifer? The man made me rethink my dating site profile preferences. Not that I've dated any guys since, but it's sort of an option. And if you tell anyone here that, I'll deny it."

"So, that's a 'yes'?"

His face warred between 'Dear God yes,' and 'what kind of horrible thing is about to happen to me?'

His body won the war, and his pants twitched against her. He had the grace to cough and lean back a bit, giving her space. "Okay, fine, yeah, but why? Are you giving him the reins back? That's not really like you."

The half-bulge in his slacks brought back some memories. Many good ones, if she let herself honest. "No, not exactly. We...I'm..looking for a plus one. In bed. With both of us, maybe? Not dating."

Dan frowned. "So, what am I, 'convenient'? 'safe'?"

"No!"

He dropped his arms, crossed them.

"Okay. Yeah. You're both of those things. But I'm not just throwing you at my boyfriend. I.. trust you."

Wryly but not without bitterness, "To not kidnap him and claim him for myself?"

The fear that spread across her face was gratifying enough to Dan. And real enough to take his ex-wife seriously.

"Hey, I'm not serious."

Dan squeezed her shoulder. "Lucifer would be way too much for me to deal with long-term. It's bad enough that he's ruined me for any sexual expectations for the near future."

Chloe chuckled. "He does that."

"Long-term I think I prefer a woman. Lucifer is great in bed, but, well."

She smirked. "Boobs?"

He nodded. "Boobs. And the other stuff. Plus he's taller than me, which is a little weird."

"He can pull off day-old scruff too."

Her ex coughed and scratched his neck, "That was not something I thought I'd be into."

She grinned.

"Hey, he's not the one pushing this idea? Because if he is-"

Dan got adorable when he became protective. They both were. "No. No. It really is me."

She debated not telling him. But it's the reason she even dragged him here, locked in a closet, again. "I don't think I can physically wear him out." She blushed furiously. "Alone."

"Well, I mean, you don't have to do that much work, you could...just." Yeah, not a good idea. Dan returned her flat stare awkwardly. "You always did like a challenge."

She blew out her breath. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Hey, if I can stay for breakfast I'll seriously consider it." He gave her a half-grin.

Chloe leaned back, bracing her hands on the shelves behind her. She felt like she scared him off. Two different men in her life running away from a threesome. Augh. "I haven't asked anyone else. I don't know if I would. I don't know who I would."

"Really? Lucifer has to know tons-"

"I don't want to fight someone else for Lucifer, even if he thinks it'll work." She rolled her eyes. "He only really has all these.. Short-term experiences. I think I'm the only person he's ever actually dated. It's kind of scary. You've seen him make decisions before on cases."

"Well, yeah, not always good ones."

"You see? He's got porn stars on his speed dial."

Dan couldn't resist laughing at that. "God, he's probably been IN a porno at some point."

Chloe bit her lip. Great. Something else her brain will nag her about relentlessly. Forever.

"Speaking of absurd amounts of sex, er."

"Yeah?"

"You're. Uh. All tested right?"

"Actually, yeah. Lucifer dragged his feet, but I insisted, because, well, you know. Somehow he has a sparkling clean bill of health. Go figure."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, I even ran his results by Ella. She says he's not carrying anything active or inactive. He's never even had Chicken Pox."

"No shingles for him later." Dan shivered. "Lucky bastard."

"Yeah, but him being a pillar of health is part of the problem." She eyed her ex. "Not that I'm complaining about him being able to go 24/7, it's just that guys don't ever produce it when they say they can."

"Well, he had me over for less than twenty-four hours. He was up again before me. Uh. Not figuratively."

Chloe gritted her teeth.

"You sure this is what you want? Cause there's no downside in this for me. Save for putting a cramp on my dating game. Which is non-existent, thank you."

"I've never had a relationship with a man with this much of a little black book before. It may be behind him, but it's not that far behind."

She shook it off. "No downside to watching another man do things to his ex? I mean, you know his stamina." The more often she said it, the sooner she could get over this mental baggage.

Dan processed it. "No worse than not being there, right? I mean, would we be...?"

God, she didn't think it that far through. "I, uh, don't know. I was thinking more for Lucifer. I guess play it by ear? Does that work in a…three-way?"

"What, your sex-god boyfriend didn't give you any advice?"

"He kinda didn't go for the whole thing at first."

"Lucifer. Turning down a threesome."

"Well, not exactly. He's pretty helpful once we talked about it. We figured I should talk to you first without him. So you wouldn't be influenced too much by his crazy aura thing he has that apparently affects everyone else."

"The thing that you don't believe in?"

"He's got some special talents. I just haven't figured it out yet."

Dan grabbed for a box of pens, leaning over her shoulder for them. "I think you've figured out some of them. Does this mean we can make out in the closet without Lucifer?"

She put a hand on his sternum. His heartbeat ran faster, a lot like she remembered when they were younger and newly married. "I'm still torn on this even being a good idea."

Dan closed his hand over hers. She startled a little. "If you change your mind, I can make other plans. I have a stack of DVD's to rewatch."

Chloe smiled. "Just remember, it might be him dragging you into the closet to 'snog.'"

"This closet has seen a lot of action."

"You have no idea."


	3. Office Ink

Dan hadn't heard from either of Chloe or Lucifer for a few days and assumed plans were being discussed or she had backed out. He wasn't ready to follow up on this just yet. Is it cool if I have casual sex with your boyfriend now? How's next weekend?

Waiting for word had him on edge. He'd never contemplated something like this before. Well, he hadn't had these kinds of thoughts since high school, and then the fantasy had been all additional women, not men. Not that anything ever came of it. Even Chloe had been more adventurous than him around the same time before they met.

Dan had done a fair amount of what he optimistically called 'internet research,' specifically on multi-partners the last few nights. An upside to 'research' being he found out he liked more kinds of porn than he initially thought. He discovered that he didn't dig younger chicks as much as he used to.

He discovered, in fact, one porn series based on Lucifer. Their Lucifer the club-owner, not actual Lucifer. It's not that weird, being in L.A. and the middle of the porn production industry and given his notoriety. Thankfully the actor didn't turn out to be Mr. Morningstar and had more in common physically with a platinum blond Chris Evans. Dan found out he did not have a thing for surfer dudes.

Predictably, the series titles began with "Devil's Threesome," followed by "Devil in Miss Jones," "Devil May Care" and "Hell Hole." 'Porn Lucifer' had red dragon wings painted on his shoulders and light-up plastic horns. Production values were not high.

The porn title names ran as long as every pun related to Satan ever.

The comment section contained several [deleted by admin] notices before reviews were shut off entirely. Dan had a feeling he knew who caused it.

Dan stood lost in thought at work, staring distractedly at the coffee flavor selection - Hazelnut or French Vanilla. _What the hell is French Vanilla anyway? Why isn't it just 'Vanilla'?_

"Have you seen the Detective, Detective?" Lucifers' dulcet tones slid over Dan's ear, and he jumped. How the hell did he appear out of nowhere all the time?

Lucifer stepped close behind, hooked a finger through the middle loop on the back of Dan's jeans, blessedly out of sight of nearby coworkers. The devil drew on it slightly, transferring the pressure of the denim to his groin. Dan desperately fought down rising heat in his face and elsewhere. "Uh."

"Your ex? Soon to be semi-ex?" Lucifer's face floated far too close to his for the middle of work. Lucifer leaned in closer, relentless, voice dropping into velvet and the heat of his breath on Dan's neck. "The one I've been fucking as often as she'll have me?"

Dan's breath hitched. _What was the question?_

"Uh."

The Devil smiled. "Good thing you're handsome because you don't have much else going for you right now."

Dan swallowed. "Chloe's out on a case."

Lucifer leaned away, offended. "What, without me?"

Dan half-smiled, extracting himself from Lucifer before he pitched a tent. "Looks like she didn't need you today."

"Or you, it seems."

Shrugging, "I have paperwork to catch up on." _Probably._

Lucifer towered over him, despite there not being that much height difference. "Someone got offed, and she didn't even text. I've half a mind to go investigate myself."

"We actually aren't sure it's a murder. Might be staged, but might not. Someone's dead, but it's really not weird or different so far. Ella's out collecting samples."

"Well. Given how familiar she is now with all my talents, I'm sure you're right. Chloe wouldn't want me to waste any of my valuable time when I'm not useful."

"Yes, I'm sure she can use your vast array of sex-related skills on a crime scene." Dan instantly regretted attempting sarcasm.

Lucifer nodded knowingly. "Yes, you're right, Detective, now that we're much more intimate with each other, I should check in and make sure she knows she has all of me to call on now."

"Wait-"

He was gone.

Because of course.

Dan sighed and grabbed Hazelnut.

Ella sat on her heels near a cold puddle of blood congealing in the leaves. She poked blindly into a concrete culvert using a long stick. They were off the trail, under the shadow of the dam. The trickling spillover would have been relaxing if this hadn't been a potential murder scene.

Chloe's phone buzzed. She ignored it for the moment. The tone didn't match the one assigned to Trixie. "So?"

The smaller woman grunted and crawled all the way in.

"Ella!"

"'M fine. Also smol. Be right back." Her butt vanished into the dark.

The first body was found off a walking path in the park. The suspect had wandered off the trail and fell to his death onto the concrete causeway, then slid from there into the creek and bled out next to the culvert. Some kids looking for bugs found him and called the police. It was a little too much like the start of a bad Law & Order episode.

The man had been reported missing last night, but circumstances didn't flag it for anything unusual. A liquor bottle rested nearby, indicating a drunken spill when he slipped and fell off the path. A scattering of small stones led to the drop-off, like a perfect explanation.

Ella, the ever-observant scientist, thought that maybe the damage to his head hadn't been caused only by falling onto concrete and just went into a drain to look for God knows what.

The second body found two hours ago, not well buried and some distance down the creek. The woman had been far away from a trail.

The third body wrapped up everything far too cleanly. A murder-murder-suicide.

She would have to call her friendly neighborhood civilian consultant after all. But not yet.

Chloe sank to her knees outside Ella's concrete tunnel, clear of the pool of blood. She turned on her flashlight. "Ella?" she stuck her head in and got a hair's breadth of gut warning before someone touched her back.

"Detective! I'd know that ass anywhere!"

Chloe hit her head on the top of the tunnel when she jumped, glaring back. "Ow."

Ella appeared out of the dark, nearly plowing into her coworker. "Got it!"

"Hello, Ella! Any more lovely ladies spelunking in strange places?" The Devil helpfully offered them a hand up.

Ella emerged covered in grime, her hand gripping something long, blunt and heavy. She beamed triumphantly. "I found the murder weapon! Well, one of them! Probably!"

"Detective! Dan informed me this hardly even counted as a murder? Does he require punishing?"

"OH MY- No." She rubbed her head. "Why are you here?"

"Dan helpfully pointed out the fact that you're more familiar with my full set of talents and I might be of some previously unknown use to you out on the scene!"

Chloe tilted her phone up. The earlier text message came from Dan. Incoming Devil. There must have been a gap in service since the timestamp occurred five minutes ago. She sighed.

Ella opened an evidence bag for her lost treasure. "Dude, Chloe is not gonna have sex with you out here. I'm assuming."

"Lucifer, Yes, there's a murder. Or two, but it's not a head-scratcher. Maybe a little more complicated than at first glance. But still, looks like a lousy cover-up. There are no witnesses that we know of and no live suspects. No handy surveillance cameras out here either.

The forensic specialist carefully sealed her bag, turning the blunt object around. "Still not sure what this is exactly, but it showed up like a Christmas tree under the blacklight." She labeled the bag and held it close like a lover."I will discover your secrets, my murdery friend."

Lucifer glanced around. "Where are the bodies?"

"Already collected." Chloe nodded up the hill. "The guys who arrived on scene thought he died accidentally, so they went ahead and bagged him. I have to have a discussion with them later. You should have passed the ambulance on your drive in."

"I arrived on the other side of the park."

"Oooookay, well, it looks like the first guy either got pushed off the path, then finished off after hitting his head down there, or he was struck first then pushed. We aren't sure yet. Ella will probably have a better idea once she gets everything back to the lab. The second body found is a female. The third male shot her then killed himself."

"Well, that sounds dreadful."

"It's messier than when we got here. At first, only one man had fallen off the trail. The woman doesn't have identification on her. The third man shot himself in the face, so we have to put Ella to yet more work to confirm the ID on his body matches the person."

Ella nodded. "Shouldn't be too hard. As long as he has fingerprints, I might get lucky and get an easy ID from the State or Federal databases. Same for the woman."

Lucifer eyed the bagged object, "And the original man?"

"His driver's license says he's Brent Spiner, but don't freak out, because the name is just a coincidence, plus he's much younger."

"Don't freak out about what?"

"Oh my gosh, dude, there's no way you didn't watch Star Trek: Next Gen when it was on."

"Before my time, I'm afraid."

"Before your-! Satan. No offense, but you are the right age to have seen it on cable. Troi would be so your jam. I didn't get to watch it until after it ended, but at least I had DS9."

"DS What?"

Ella threw up her purple-gloved hands. "Chloe? Please please please promise me you'll tie him to a chair and make him catch up on culture."

She grinned. "There are four lights."

"YES. THANK YOU. I heart you, Chloe."

Lucifer looked utterly lost.

Chloe kissed his adorably confused face. "Don't worry. We can start after Season 1 when it becomes tolerable. How about we head back and I'll update you with more case details on the way?"

"And by case details, you mean-"

She glanced at Ella who didn't even pretend not to watch them. "Case details."

Chloe licked Lucifer's lips. Why did have to wear so many layers of clothes?

He breathed her with arms wrapped tight around her waist. "You could stay a little longer."

They were in the damn closet, making out like a couple of teenagers. She kissed his neck. "We have to get some work done if you want me to have some free time for tonight. I don't want to get caught by our boss doing naughty things to you in here."

Lucifer pulled her hips up against him. Hot hardness nestled against her in just the right place. He dropped into his sexy voice. "Some things are worth the risk."

She moaned into his neck. This could get out of hand fast. _Or in hand fast._ "I will not get fired for having sex at work."

"That they know of." He unhelpfully rolled his body against her.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."

One hand moved to her ass.

She groaned and gathered the willpower to push him back. "Nope. Later. If we keep going, we're going to keep going. And I'm not good at 'quiet.'"

"Later it is. I need a minute." Lips brushed her ear.

She squeezed him tight before letting go.

"If Dan doesn't care about being caught and getting fired, you could grab him." She laughed. Like Dan would be that dumb. She kissed her boyfriend again and stepped out.

Dan's phone buzzed silently. Lucifer texted.

L: Want closet sex?

Dan's throat tightened in the middle of the meeting. At least he's not running it. He caught sight of Chloe headed for Ella's lab through the office windows.

Under the table, he carefully replied.

D: Chloe?

L: Said I could jump your bones if you were willing. And you have lovely cheekbones.

Dan glanced at his coworkers around the table, watching the presentation and not him. He took a sip of water.

D: Later? In mtng

L: I'm afraid I'll be taking care of business myself if I don't get some company.

D: Supply closet? Rly?

L: Yes "Rly" I've got my other hand in my pants right now.

Dan is sure his face is starting to glow red. He leaned over his notepad and pretended to write things down.

L: Not so little Lucifer is getting some attention. I'm quite hard.

Dan quickly drank more water.

D: Dude, I'll have to shut off the phone.

L: You don't want to hear about me stroking my cock? I can do it one-handed fine, but it and I prefer a little assistance.

He licked his lips, attempting to appear to be studiously taking notes on the presentation.

D: I can't just fuck out.

 _Oh, my God. Fucking autocorrect._

L: Why, Detective, you must be thinking about me a little at least.

Dan's dick twitched. He excused himself to hit the bathroom. The presenter waved him out.

L: Come on Dan, I'm close. You could slip in here and finish me off.

D: Dammit, I'm in the bathroom now.

L: Whatever for?

D: I'm trying to cool off.

L: Oh, I have got you all hot and bothered! My delicious self is ripe for the picking in here.

 _This is not happening._ No one else occupied the bathroom.

D: If I leave here, and go straight to the closet, everyone in the meeting will see me do it.

D: Not to mention I have a raging hard-on thanks to you.

L: There are extra-large sharpies in here. And you're welcome. I hoped to have someone's lips on my cock by now.

Dan improvised. He slipped into a stall.

D: And now I have to jerk off too.

L: Then why are you still chatting me up?

Dan paused. Why indeed?

D: Would you send me, uh.

Lucifer's dick pic arrived.

L: Don't leave me hanging figuratively AND literally, D.D.

Oh.

Dan managed to do so without dropping his phone.

L: Not bad. I have to teach you how to frame a sexy photo. But It's the dirty thought that counts.

L: I hope you think of me the next time you need pens.

D: How are you?

L: I came. Luckily there are kleenexes in here. Unluckily there are no recipients.

The coast remained clear, so Dan made quick work of himself, washed up and silently cursed the day he ever met Lucifer Morningstar.


	4. Broken Ends

Lucifer grinned wickedly.

Chloe held one hand over her mouth.

Ella turned over the now clean object in her gloved hands, puzzling over it. She wore one of her brightly colored signature cartoon shirts under her lab coat. This shirt had two dinosaurs. One speaking to the other about "sudden but inevitable betrayal."

Ella waved it slightly. "The murder weapon is a dildo."

"Dong," Lucifer supplied helpfully. As always, he sported one of his dark suits with a light purple shirt.

Chloe half turned to peer over her shoulder at him. "Say what?"

"A dildo is phallus shaped but with balls or a base. A dong doesn't have a base. See there? can google it for you later."

The object in question: an 18-inch long black glass sex toy, two inches across the tip with a widening back end but no platform base. When Ella held it up to the light, it had some faint purple and blue swirls within, and the veins on the outside done in striking flame orange.

Under a certain light, it almost could look like a comet. Aside from the obvious penis head.

The opposite end appeared sheared off

Lucifer continued, "It's a work of art really. It's not easy to get glass into a detailed shape like that." He indicated the ridge under the glans. There might have been a hint of longing in his voice."Multiple passes in the forge, I bet."

"Really." Chloe looked unamused.

"Really?" Ella asked, both fascinated and amused.

"This must be a custom order. It would be astonishing if you found something like this sold in bulk. I can probably help you track down the maker if you need assistance. Maybe an Etsy shop specializing in glass?"

Chloe gave the thing a wide berth. "Glass sex toys? Is that safe?"

Lucifer smiled knowingly. "It's extremely safe. Very anti-bacterial, as long as it doesn't get scratched it's easy to clean and can last forever. The girth of most glass toys makes them very durable. The weight upon insertion makes for a whole different sensation than silicone. I'd say you have your murder weapon, Ella."

Ella eyed Lucifer for a moment. "Are you sure you weren't a sex therapist in a past life?"

"Goodness, no, I don't have any past lives."

"Oh, right, eternal lifespan." She shook her head and regarded the toy/weapon. "I mean, I don't know what else it would be doing in a drain unless someone stashed it there."

"I should say so. An item like that shouldn't leave the residence."

"There are no scuff marks on it, from possibly striking bone, but the relevant damage might be on the missing piece."

"The head end would be much easier to grip if you wanted to wield it."

Chloe cringed. "Did your team find anything else that might be a weapon?"

"Other than the gun, no. Right now things are pointing to a love triangle that ended badly." Ella placed the thing back down on the table.

"What did I tell you, Detective? Jealousy ruins everything."

She ignored him, a bit of worry gnawing on her stomach. "Was that what happened?"

"The gun has been registered to a Kenneth Amber. Everything points to him being the murder-suicide, but we don't know if he's the murder-murder. We aren't sure on the woman. We didn't find evidence of a marriage, but she could be a girlfriend. This puppy is heavy enough that she could have whacked Brent over the head with it and broken it. She had to sneak up on him. The nature of the dildo-"

"Dong."

"Means there weren't any fingerprints - the grime I found it in took care of that before I ever got to it."

Chloe chewed her lip. "Is it possible someone else shot Kenneth and staged a suicide?"

Ella considered it. "A fourth person would make this uber complicated. It'd be like, Rube Goldberg murder."

"Still, if we discard the possibility, there's a chance that other person would be getting away with murdering three other people."

"We'll look into it, sure."

"I guess Lucifer, and I will go to the homes of the two men we know of, see if we can find anything."

"And I'll send an intern out to the culvert to try to find the chunk of the toy that's missing. Oh hey, Chloe, since you two have been dating a while, can I change your nickname to 'Devil's Advocate'"?

Lucifer grinned with approval.

The Detective squinted at Ella. "What was it before?"

"...Nothing."

* * *

Dan paused at the door when the trio exited. The clear windows into the lab allowed an unhampered visual of what sat on the table. "Is that what I think it is?"

Chloe coughed. "If you think that it's an oversized dil-oversized dong that probably is one of two murder weapons, then yes."

Dan paled a little.

Her tall, dark partner nodded in agreement, "Quite well made. I have to find the artist and order one for myself. I imagine the waiting list is considerable. There tend to be ways around that sort of thing if you throw enough cash at what you want."

Ella blinked.

Chloe and Dan simultaneously turned to him with mirrored expressions of mild horror.

"What?"

She arched her eyebrows. "What exactly do you imagine you'll do with it? That thing in there is enormous!"

"Quite. Keep it on the bar upstairs, probably, unless they come in sizes that are fun."

"Waaaiit.." Ella squinted at him.

"That one is art."

"It's not actually a sex toy?"

Lucifer glanced back through the lab window and made a face. "I hope not. I mean, it could be, but I wouldn't find it pleasant. That thing probably weighs three kilos or more. Dan?"

Dan shook his head vigorously. "Uh. No.. no. very much not."

"And judging by your reaction, I'm assuming a firm 'no' from you too, D.A. No pun intended."

Chloe side-eyed him. Hard.

Dan wanted to ask about the new nickname.

He clapped his hands together once, sharply. "So it's settled. Mantlepiece it is. And maybe an eight or so incher for the bedroom?" Lucifer remained oblivious to Ella's array of expressions.

Chloe dragged Lucifer away by the elbow to a nearby hallway. Ella commented about updating the evidence sheet and hopped back into her lab. Dan stood awkwardly at the lab door.

"Could you maybe not publicly include Dan in bedroom toy discussions? Especially since we haven't actually, you know, included him yet?"

"I'm sorry, Detective, I've been under the impression the idea had been finalized if not actioned upon. Should I stop propositioning him?"

Chloe rested her forehead against his chest. "No. Just. I'd rather not everyone at work-" She took a second to rephrase. "Anyone else we work with know about the- thing we're talking about."

"So, you weren't serious before about me having office sex with Dan?"

She breathed in. For a long time. Dammit, he smelled good.

"Lucifer?"

"Yes?"

"Did you have office sex with Dan?"

"Not directly."

"Not directly."

"Well, we did exchange photos over text."

Chloe didn't ask. It did give her another thing to sort into an emotional box. She breathed out. Reached up and kissed Lucifer. "I'm not mad. Just, sorting things out in my brain, okay?"

Lucifer happily returned the kiss, lingering in the hallway for a moment. "Are you having reservations?"

"No. Yes. Always."

"Chloe?"

"Ever since Hot Tub, I second guess everything. The first few times Dan asked me to marry him, I said no. Dan and I never had a second kid, because I wasn't sure I could handle more than one. I would never have become an officer if I hadn't lost my dad. Hell, I never would have done Hot Tub if it weren't for my mom's history. Some days I feel like someone else's pinball game. You come along and challenge everything, ultimately for the better. You upend me." She shook her head. "Don't read too much into it."

She wrapped her arms around him, looking up into endless dark eyes.

"You make me second guess my habit of second guessing everything. I need more of this. Of you."

He pressed lips into the top of her head. She felt like some of his overflowing energy channeled into her on a connecting thread, as silly as that sounded. She smiled into his neck, pressing the side of her face into a bit of his magical prickly scruff.

"I'm always happy to provide more of me. Specifically to you."

This and his moments of sweetness made up for every obnoxious thing he ever said. Mostly. "Mmmm. You're even better than good coffee."

"Sacrilege!"

"Close second?"

* * *

As it turned out, Kenneth and Brent had the same address.

The partners checked what they had as Brent's apartment address, but he had moved six months previously and didn't update his driver's license. The landlord gave the forwarding address, which led to Ken's address.

For L.A. the place is enormous. Chloe forgot to ask Ella what either of the men did for a living. The home lived a little outside of the bustling center, away from major traffic. Decorative iron fencing with vines made a bit of space between the walk and windows.

A knock brought a smiling red-headed woman with curls to the door. "Hello?"

Chloe held up her badge, "Hi, I'm Detective Decker with LAPD, Do you know either Kenneth Amber or Brent Spiner?"

Her face fell. "Hi, come inside. I'm Claire, uhm. A recent roommate. I haven't heard from them since yesterday." She wore a cornflower blue crop top that brought out her eyes and showed off freckles on her chest.

Claire led them into the living room. Lucifer noted the plush white fur rug, the red leather couch. Chloe saw him lean through a nearby door. "Hang on. This place looks familiar." He squinted at Claire,

What now? "Claire, this is my partner and consultant, Lucifer. He can be a little nosy."

He looked up at the ceiling, pointing excitedly. "Is this the set of 'New York Sweets'?" Lucifer approached Claire. "Are you new? I don't recognize you."

She blushed, letting herself smile a little. "It is. Are you a subscriber? I mostly handle post-shoot editing right now."

"It's my favorite web show!"

Chloe looked between them, at the camera in the ceiling pointed down at the rug. "Okay, I'm going to regret this. Claire?"

"It's a series. One or more times a month, we have a live sex show. Next week, we'll shoot on that rug there with just Ken and Brent."

Chloe made a face. "Live?"

"Real-time. We set up multiple cameras so I can edit everything after for sales. It's by web subscription only, obviously, but you can buy the final files separately from the basic membership. It's pretty popular."

"Detective! You didn't tell me our murder victims were Tank and Yank."

Chloe willed herself to drop through the floor. It didn't work. "Claire?"

"They were murdered?" She got that 'processing' look. The one that tended to be a dead giveaway that she lied. "Who.. what? When?"

Lucifer nodded. "The 'how' is the really interesting part. Well, for Tank."

"Lucifer, knock it off! Sorry, Claire. They were your friends and roommates?"

She shook herself. "I.. they were my employers. They would introduce me in a couple of episodes. They said I did well in the off-camera practice round."

Her partner patted her shoulder. "I'm sure you were excellent, dear."

Chloe swallowed. "They have tryouts for this kind of thing?"

"Sure. Our subscribers are demanding and particular. Everyone works hard not to disappoint them." She sniffed back tears, wiping her nose on her top.

Lucifer stepped up and offered his pocket square. She took it with an apologetic look and blew her nose on it.

Chloe softened, "When did you see Brent and Kenneth last?"

"Breakfast yesterday? They talked about doing an outdoor shoot, but it'd be tricky. We put effort into not revealing our real location, and well, local laws frown on some kinds of outdoor sex."

"Did one of them have a girlfriend? Short blonde hair? Petite?"

"Rachel? Yeah. The three of them were, uhm. Poly. Why?"

Lucifer missed a significant look Chloe gave him.


	5. Late to the Party

Lucifer puttered around his apartment. Chloe and Dan were due to turn up tonight and test the waters, as it were. A sitter, possibly for the entire night if Lucifer had his choice, had been called to Chloe's apartment.

He 'dressed down' for the night, leaving off jacket and waistcoat and remaining in a pale grey button down and darker trousers. Being a Friday, the club will be roaring later, with bass soaking up through the floors. That hours off yet, he planned for them to show up after getting themselves fed.

This kind of thing came as old hat to the Devil. He did what he normally does-or used to- selecting appropriate condoms and lubes that were latex-friendly. A box of gloves sat on the nightstand if things got interesting. Lucifer left the 'really interesting' box in the closet. Preparations taking up all of five minutes, he went back to searching Etsy stores for glass work.

The elevator delivered his first visitor of the evening. Lucifer smiled, expecting Chloe to emerge, albeit very early. Instead, Dan appeared, with a plastic tray of cupcakes in hand for some Dad-awful reason.

Lucifer would have tried refraining from commenting if Chloe had been around, in an attempt to 'be nice.' She wasn't.

"What on earth are those?"

Dan, taken aback, grumbled. "Food?"

"This isn't a church social, Dan."

"I didn't want to show up empty-handed, all right? This is weird enough."

"Well, if I did pass the plate, it'd be for party favors. Next time bring whatever lube you like. Unopened. I'll add it to the assortments."

"Assuming there's a first time."

"Indeed. That's entirely up to Chloe if that hadn't been made clear. What I have planned will be better than cupcakes, if all goes well." He poured a couple of drinks for them. He hoped his favorite detective wouldn't to be too late.

Dan's throat tightened. Is it warm in here? He set the four-pack of baked goods on the bar gingerly. "Look, I didn't think anything I picked for wine would be acceptable either, so I went with something Chloe likes."

"She likes these dreadful things?"

"Not everything store-bought is horrible, you know. Uhm. What exactly do you have planned?" He glanced toward Lucifer's bedroom. He picked at the neck of his navy blue t-shirt. Subtlety not being his strong point.

Lucifer checked his phone for missed calls. "In time, dear other-Detective. Is Chloe following you up?"

"She's not here already?" Dan accepted the Whiskey. Lucifer's fingertips touched his in the passing of the drink.

"She's only supposed to go deal with your spawn."

Dan frowned at 'spawn'. "We left the precinct around the same time, she's probably just in traffic." He sipped his drink lightly, pretending he could tell the difference between a $2 shot and whatever Lucifer gave him. "You know, every group sex skin flick I've ever seen has it starting with drugs, drinking or terrible party games. Or all of the above. The time you got me up here, you threw me against the wall without any foreplay."

Lucifer lit up at the memory and gave Dan one of his sinful smiles. "I didn't hear you complaining about it."

He fought off a blush. "I mean, how do you start without. Uhm…"

"Oh right, you turned down the orgy invitation. You could come to the next one and pick up some pointers."

Dan halted mid-sip. "You can't be serious. You still have them?"

"Of course not. I reserved a few suites at a nice hotel, being on a bi-monthly schedule and all. I'm sponsoring the next one until a new permanent location is found. I'm not attending, naturally, but I could give you the floor and hotel name."

"Bi-monthly? And no, still not interested. But thank you for thinking of me, I guess."

"Can't have them too often. It'd get boring."

"Boring?"

Lucifer drank Whiskey like it could have been apple juice. "You've really got to stop repeating me, Dan."

Dan could only wish for a constitution that obscene. "Isn't it weird, having a full apartment of..of.." He gestured inarticulately with this glass.

"Multiple humans having a lovely time? Not at all."

"I mean. Random people-"

Lucifer shot him an annoyed look. "I know what you meant. Most of them actually split off to the guest rooms. Just because they're at an orgy doesn't mean they all want to have sex in front of each other. Or even watch others having sex, even though it's terribly fun."

"Really?" That sparked interest in the visual, but it still made it hard to picture enough people to fill the place with activity.

"It's not always a writhing chaotic mass with fluids shooting everywhere, you know. Very unhygienic that way. But that can be fun too, even if I over-tip the house cleaners for the next week."

"I mean, watching other people have sex? It's not awkward?"

"Humans with their barriers down are by far the most interesting to watch. I've always been a proponent of free will, you know. Believe it or not, I'm hoping to observe you and Chloe go at it at some point tonight or another night."

Dan's eyebrows could be hanging off the ceiling.

"You two had a rather long-term relationship, over a decade I'm guessing, I'm curious what that does to sexual positions. Also, I'm trying to figure out Chloe's hang-up on not wanting to try pegging. I don't know if it's something she's genuinely not interested in or if it's a knee-jerk turn off."

Dan inhaled some of his Whiskey and coughed.

Lucifer's phone rang. Notes of Eternal Flame wafted softly from the bar. "Detective?"

"Hey, I can't make it tonight. Can you call Dan?"

"You all right, love?"

"Trixie came down with the flu at school, and she's really sick right now. I don't want to bring a virus over to you guys. I have to go get Tamiflu from the doctor for myself, get Trixie's meds and get her to bed."

"Well, that's unfortunate."

"I know, she feels terrible."

"I mean, Dan's already here."

"Well, can you have a guy's night in? I'd swap, but we'd still be in the same boat, and there's no reason to give you and Dan the flu too."

Trixie's voice came over the speaker in a wail. "Lucifeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrr! I threw up!"

Chloe's went distant for a second. "He doesn't need to know that, baby." To them, "Can you manage without me tonight?"

"Well, I'm sure Dan will be more than eager to-"

Dan snatched the phone away from Lucifer. "Is Trixie still nearby?"

"Yeah, I'm stuck right now in traffic, so that's extra fun."

Dan, glaring at Lucifer, kept the phone away from him. "Can you...uhm. explicitly tell me what you mean by 'guys night in'?"

"Men! Watch a movie. Braid each other's hair. What do you normally do? Watch 'Body Bags' again."

Lucifer grabbed the phone. "Sexy pillow fights?"

"Sure, whatever you want. Shit! I need to pull over. Trixie's gonna-"

She hung up abruptly. Dan winced empathetically.

Lucifer held the phone away from his face as if it might bite him then carefully set it down. "Well. I'm glad we didn't hear the end of that call. Might have put a damper on the mood."

Dan continued to be Dan. "I don't think she's used to your version of 'guys night.'"

Lucifer smiled wickedly at him, voice lowering, "Well, what do you think we should do for 'guys night'?"

He shifted. "Maybe I should go help with Trixie?"

"She did warn you away Dan. Flu sounds awful."

"What, you've never had the flu either? Have you ever caught a cold?"

"Nope. Fit as a fiddle."

"Right. Angels don't get sick, then?"

The Devil gestured at himself. "Perk of immortality. Along with good looks, high stamina and an assortment of other talents."

"Right." Dan sat on the arm of the couch, peering through the bottom of his glass. Lucifer's not wrong about the looks or high stamina bit. "I can't help Chloe, and she can't come over. What do you want to do?"

Lucifer left the bar and his glass and approached in long steps, using his already added height to his advantage to lean over Dan and into his space. He plucked away Dan's empty tumbler, setting it aside without taking his eyes off him.

He smoothly slid a warm hand around the detective's waist and sat next to him on the couch arm. His long fingers found skin under the nicely fitted shirt. "Well, Dan, I specifically asked about sexy pillow fights."

Dan's heart rate picked up. He didn't lean away. Unsure where to put his hands, he clasped them. "That's true. You did." He nodded to himself.

"One can't be justifiably fully dressed for a sexy pillow fight. And we all know how those things end, don't we?" Lucifer's hip rested millimeters from his. The Devil leaned into him,"What do you say? Call it a warm-up session for next time?"

Heat flooded up into Dan's chest. If this isn't what Chloe intended, she would be pissed. On the other hand, it wouldn't be him she'd be mad at. As much.

Light pressure straying up his back under the shirt reminded him Lucifer left a question in the air. Dan shivered pleasantly under smooth fingers.

"Can I ask something?"

Lucifer's liquor-laced breath found his neck. Lips traced the hollow of his collarbone. "As long as I get to ask something in exchange."

"Are you a nympho? What is it about laying every person in L.A.?"

"One, No. Two, Attempting, not always succeeding. Three, Please take off your shirt."

"Huh?"

His voice dripped honey and velvet. "My 'something in exchange'" He grinned with darkening eyes.

"So, when you say 'please'?"

Lucifer shrugged. "You can refuse. But you have well-defined abs, and I want to lick them."

He breathed in, a short pause followed by lifting his shirt off and letting it fall back on the couch. "Better?"

"Much. You kept up your workout routine."

He hesitated for a half-second when Lucifer bent in for a kiss. Everything else that resembled functional thought swept away. Hot face and groomed stubble tickled Dan's clean-shaven jaw. Lucifer deepened the kiss, breathing in, sliding touch further up his spine to the neck.

Lucifer swiveled and stood up, unbuttoning cuffs. Dan took the front shirt buttons, leaning up to press lips into the side of his neck where the stubble faded off. He tugged Lucifer's shirttail out of his trousers, the fabric slipping with a silk whisper. He fumbled for a second, trying to figure out why men's shirt buttons on the opposite side from women's.

He got them undone, feeling a little awkward brushing his fingers down Lucifer's sternum. Most of his first trip up here blurred together in a fit of tearing at clothes and finding out making out with another man could be intoxicating. Or maybe it was just Lucifer. He could kiss Lucifer hard, even encouraged to, in a way he couldn't with women.

Lucifer stroked his ribs, smiling devilishly. "Oh, I like eager Dan. Clumsy, new to male on male sex Dan was adorable too."

Dan leaned back. "I am not adorable." The height difference with Lucifer standing made Dan feel a little intimidated. But not much.

Lucifer tugged Dan to his feet, hips bracing against hips. "Feisty Dan has joined the party. And so has little Dan."

"Hey!"

Lucifer cocked an eyebrow with his smile. "Somewhat-above-average-Dan?"

Having had enough of teasing, he bit at Lucifers neck lightly for good measure. "You seemed to like him last time." He got Lucifer out of his silky shirt, sliding hands high up his back as the shirt dropped off his shoulders. Something was different. He jumped. "Hey, turn around."

"Hmm?"

Dan shoved Lucifers shoulder around to look at his back. "What happened to those weird scars?"

"Got my wings back. Thought I mentioned it at some point."

"Yeah, but, your back is smooth now." Dan touched smooth, warm skin over his shoulder blades unbroken by anything resembling a scar. "What'd you tell Chloe?"

"The same thing? Honestly." That familiar annoyance crept into his voice when people questioned his divinity.

He dug his finger pads around the bone, prodding. "I mean, even plastic surgery would leave a scar. There's nothing there."

"You are a lousy masseuse." Lucifer huffed, turned around and scooped him up in his arms, bridal style.

"I can walk!" He protested but threw arms around Lucifer's neck anyway. He'd forgotten how freaking strong his arms were. Heat soaked into Dan.

"What you can't do, apparently, is get on with it." Lucifer dropped Dan on black satin sheets and pounced, taking apart his jeans. He scooted out of them, kicking his pants off the end of the bed. He forgot satin sheets were slippery and almost wrenched something in the process.

Lucifer shifted his weight over him, letting Dan see the desire in his own darker eyes. He bent down, kissing and tasting across his hips and leaving tingles. Scruff chased his lips up the center his chest, up to his jaw and ear. He sat up, legs apart over Dan's. Arresting endlessly dark eyes met pale blue. "What do you desire, Dan?"

His breath stopped for a heartbeat looking up into his dark eyes. "I want to do to you what you did to me last time." Dan tugged at Lucifer's dress trousers, unzipping him.

Lucifer's voice adopted deep velvet tones, slow and seductive and pleased, "Oh, Detective, you have been thinking of me."

Dan blushed. He has.

He wrapped arms around Lucifer's firm waist, yanking him down and kissing hard. The open zipper bit into flesh, but Dan wanted the body contact. Lucifer obliged, lifting hips long enough to tug off everything else, snagging Dan's briefs down along with his boxers.

Immediate skin to skin contact flooded his nerves pleasantly, enough to have Dan fully responsive. And appreciative. He slid hands down Lucifers hips, pulling hard, ground against him. He moaned, mouth angling up to find the Devil's and capturing it.

After a moment, Lucifer propped up, breaking the kiss. "You seem to like being under me. You sure you wouldn't prefer being on the bottom again?" Lucifer rolled his hips invitingly, moving hard against him.

It's tempting just to lie back and let things be done to him. Like last time. Dan growled and rolled them over, taking top. And he lost his balance against the satin again. "Sorry." The sudden friction couldn't have been pleasant.

"If you're going to give yourself whiplash, try not to strain your neck until after you've sucked me off?" Lucifer raised his head, resting his long arms under his neck and wiggling hips against Dan. He propped himself up with pillows to have a better view.

Well, he did feel like he should inspect the potentially injured area. Scooting back on hands and knees, Dan settled his weight over Lucifer's thighs and threaded fingers through his sparse leg hair, raising a few goosebumps on them both. Lucifer actively watching made for an arousing visual in of itself.

A little hesitant, he inhaled clean soap and natural scent. Dan licked his lips and went in warm passes with his tongue, earning a gratifying moan from his partner.

"Been doing some research, have we?"

Dan spoke into him. "We have. Now shut up."

'Research' or not, this part is new territory to Dan, flimsy earlier attempts aside. Lucifer gave far, far better than he got from him their one encounter before and he intended to correct that. He rose up to get his mouth around Lucifer. Besides not really trying to blow a man before, Dan wasn't really prepared to find Lucifer uncircumcised, which didn't come up much in American porn. He found He felt his teeth scrape flesh and drew back quickly. "Sorry?"

"It's all right- relax your jaw a little. Don't try to go too deep too fast."

Dan didn't mind a little coaching. He found Lucifer's voice encouraging, not a reprimand. He tried again, just lips and end of his tongue, working up to a rhythm. He started to lose himself in the small sounds Lucifer made.

Breathing through his nose, Dan tried to loosen his throat and felt like he's managing better. There's a bit more coordination involved than he thought there would be. Lucifer had fisted a hand into the sheet into the sheet, gripping.

Dan found himself enjoying the reactions and risked picking up a little speed and depth. The Devil may not have a gag reflex, but Dan did. He shuddered involuntarily and regretfully had to sit up.

Lucifer took pity on him. "The effort so far has been rather lovely, but you can stop if you want."

Dan changed out his mouth for hands, stroking lightly. "Maybe a different angle? Off the bed?" he found himself wanting to make another try.

They did a quick reposition, Lucifer's legs swung off the side with Dan kneeling. He swallowed, just licking the tip until he got comfortable again. Lucifer touched the back of his neck lightly, without urgency. He shivered, and his throat relaxed again. He had a sudden memory of Chloe's face, mouth wrapped around him and what was that thing she did?

Lucifer hissed and attempted to tighten a hand in Dan's too-short hair. Now very pleased with himself, he continued.

He felt Lucifers hips under him tense in degrees and added a few fingers to tighten, moving his hand with lips. Everything got warmer, and faster and slick. The strained, low verbal warning didn't quite register in time.

He wiped at his face, a little panicky, grabbing a few nearby tissues for himself and the floor. Lucifer reached down and intercepted him with a firm kiss, ignoring his warm sticky mess between them and drawing Dan up with a fresh wicked grin.

* * *

A few hours later, Dan woke up in the middle of the night. Club music had begun to pound through the floor in a muted and indistinct rhythm. Still nude and not feeling particularly self-conscious about it, he stretched. He woke on his stomach but turned away, one hand under his pillow and the other somewhere on Lucifer's warm body. He passed fingers over soft skin, finding a defined hip bone.

He grinned to himself when Lucifer reacted. Something not yielding whacked him on the head and left a few puffs of feathery down on his arm.

Oh, right, sexy pillow fight? Better late than never.

Dan picked up his pillow, ready to do battle. He turned over, weapon upraised.

His grin froze in place.

Lucifer didn't have a pillow in hand. He lay flat on his stomach and snored. Dan hadn't been hit by a feather pillow. He'd been hit by feathers. Enormous gleaming white feathers the width of dinner plates spanned an arc over him and off the bed, draping to the floor in twin curtains sprouting from his shoulders.

Lucifer had wings.


	6. Winging It

An eternity came and went.

Lucifer turned slightly in his sleep, shifting his weight. The wings followed his motions and fluttered in a way that had to belie their weight. They were brilliant, glaring white under the moon. A condor would be put to shame.

Facing away from Dan, Lucifer's spine made a lovely defined curve all the way from neck to ass. Under normal circumstances, he's gorgeous. With wings splayed, 'hot' made for a serious understatement.

Fluffy smaller feathers demarcated between unbroken skin and wing roots exactly where perfectly matched twin scars used to take up real estate. Angel wings. Angel fucking wings.

Clutched deeply into the pillow, Dan's fingers were rapidly becoming numb with a lack of circulation.

His again-lover is an angel pretending to be the Devil? How did that even...?

Hadn't Lucifer's wings been stolen in the past? Weren't they fake?

Dan shifted minutely, unclamping fingers and stretching a single hand to touch the join of wings and skin. This would be a hell of a mean trick if Lucifer had attached his fake wings to himself in the middle of the night, in an attempt to give Dan a fucking heart attack.

The amount of glue alone it would take. Fingertips sank into warm white fluff. He could feel a strong heartbeat pulse in the supporting wing edge itself. Lucifer snorted and turned over, this time toward Dan, flipping the wings away in the other direction with a whuff of displacing air.

Dan sat like that for another eternity before carefully putting the pillow down. He pinched himself just to be sure. His heart pounded hard enough to wake the dead.

He thought about texting Chloe, but that would mean leaving the bed to hunt down his phone. And what would he say? _Hey, Chlo', Lucifer let me ride him until I came three times and oh, did you know about the wings?_

Shit. What if she doesn't know? That's the kind of thing she would have warned him about, right? _Hey, Dan, do you have any bird allergies? Just in case Lucifer turns part mythological beast? They're the size of a house, so watch yourself._

Or maybe she would have if she hadn't been dealing with Trix. Shit. Did Trixie know? Did anyone?

 _Lucifer didn't make the name up, did he?_

Impossible stared him in the face with sleep closed eyes, wild black curls, and moonlit skin.

Oh, and eyeliner.

Dan watched the most beautiful thing on earth lightly snoring feet away from him on high-thread-count sheets in a nightclub five floors up.

 _Did that make Amenadiel...No, work that out later. One angel right now is plenty. Did that make Satan an angel? Or an angel with a Devil complex? Or something else entirely? Aliens?_ Dan pulled his legs up and crossed his ankles, resting wrists across his knees delicately.

Obviously, the Devil hadn't hurt anyone. Well, anyone he liked. Thinking back, he never vyed for Dan's soul either. Lucifer always got pretty pissy about the bad rap Satan got. And he had those eyes you could get lost in forever.

Alien became preferable to celestial at this point. It gave Dan a slightly more comfortable box to let him not go entirely insane in. He stopped himself from laughing aloud. Here he woke up in bed, thoroughly wrung out by something who thought Dan worth his time. Whatever Lucifer is, he clearly has physical needs and desires.

And pain, remembering the time or two Lucifer had been shot or hurt.

Dan breathed out.

 _Now what?_

He certainly wouldn't sleep now. Adrenaline still rushing through his veins with wild abandon. He knew from past experience he might start shaking from it soon.

Dan opened his mouth. The name died on his tongue. 'Lucifer' suddenly meant a lot more than 'playboy nightclub owner/police consultant'.

Lucifer's sculpted chest rose and fell a dozen more times while Dan just watched in midnight darkness and twisted sheets. The wings had a faint glow of their own about them. The music from below softly thumped the floorboards, barely audible as more than a thrum.

What's Lucifer's license plate? "Fallen" something? The Devil was a fallen angel, wasn't he? Dan never wanted to flip through a bible more in his life. Had that happened in Genesis or a later book? When did angels learn to drive? On their 16th birthdays or later?

Did that make Revelations real?

Dan shuddered. He needed to get a grip before he followed the wrong thread of thought into crazytown.

He wanted to just stay here until the sun came up and not disturb whatever slept beside him. The raw sunlight on his wings had to be stunning. This might be a kind of gift Dan would never get again in his life. Lucifer could have shown his wings at any point but hadn't chosen to. Dan shifted again, recrossing his legs, enraptured.

He also had to pee.

Dan sighed and dropped his feet to the floor, intending to make a trip to the bathroom.

Lucifer muttered something in his sleep, swept one strong arm out and pulled him close, spooning him, hip to hip. Dan barely suppressed a surprised yelp. Lucifer's five o'clock shadow burrowed into his neck in a motion that would have been delightful a few hours ago, when he didn't know he'd been in bed with the literal Devil. Wings folded down over his face, shining feathers tickling his nose.

Oh god oh god oh god…

Dan sneezed, hard.

Wings snapped forcefully back behind them with a crack. Dan knew without knowing how that they were 'away' again. Light vanished.

Lucifer's voice came out gruff. "Daniel?"

He swallowed hard on a dry throat. "...Yeah?"

" _Bloody hell_." Lucifer shoved him away somewhat forcefully and rolled on his back with a sigh.

He sat up. "What?"

"Don't play the idiot, I won't tolerate it."

Dan looked away. "Okay, yeah, I saw."

Lucifer looked infinitely disgusted with himself. "You weren't supposed to."

Dan fought not to be crushed. This, probably exactly why he wasn't 'supposed to'. He kept himself from asking to see them again.

Lucifer glanced up at Dan. Rolled his eyes. "How much did you see?" Flat.

He shifted uncomfortably. He still had to pee. "They were out for minutes or maybe hours...I don't really know." He winced, fearing he'd be banished from coming back. From ever seeing them again. His bit his tongue to keep himself from blurting out something stupid.

The bitterness in Lucifer's voice is palpable. "Got a good eyeful then, did you?"

"I woke up and they were just...there. Can I just, um?"

"What?"

"I need to use the bathroom."

Lucifer side-eyed him but waved him away.

Still, in bed and tense, he didn't move when Dan came back. Better than having his clothes thrown at him and being shoved out. Dan took it as a semi-good sign and sat down on the mattress. If Lucifer really wanted to, he probably could just drop him off the balcony. He wondered if the wings were functional for flight, but didn't ask.

He sat in silence, knees drawn up again, feeling more naked now than a few hours ago, and not in a good way. His heart rate had slowed down at least. He risked glancing over.

Lucifer stared at his ceiling. "I guess you aren't going to run off screaming then."

Dan just looked at his friend. "Does that happen?"

The Devil finally cracked a smile. It was full of ash. "Not falling entirely catatonic is a good start, I suppose."

Softly, "I think I'm past that part."

"Linda took a week."

"Your...therapist, right?"

He didn't respond.

Dan opened his mouth again but didn't know what to ask or say. Whatever Lucifer is, he might be expecting rejection, or maybe outright worship. The eternal problems of otherworldly beings sounded suddenly very heavy.

Well. If Lucifer is an alien, he hadn't eaten his brain yet. If he had special mental powers to erase memories, leaving now wouldn't do him any good either. And of course, if he really is having sex with Satan himself, he'd be absolutely boned either way. What else could he do? Fish up his clothes, dress and leave? Thank you very much for the lay, so goodbye, and please don't send me to hell? Does getting fucked by the Devil entitle one to special 'non-burning' privileges?

Maybe that's exactly what Lucifer is thinking. He never made up another name because everyone would always assume he's just playing the part. Making those around him never take him a face value, because why would they? And then what if they did?

Dan deliberately stretched back out, flapping sheets and blankets over himself and Lucifer and righting the much-abused pillow under his head.

Lucifer watched him warily, still tense and radiating an unfriendly aura, unmoving.

"I didn't know the Devil is a spooner."

That earned him a more familiar smirk. The Devil he knew.

"I guess you're complicated after all."

Dan slid closer, draping an arm around Lucifer's waist and at least attempting to go back to sleep. His body radiated warmth, as always.

"You really are adorable, Douche."

"Shut up."

* * *

Somehow Dan slept, but not well. Angry nuns chased him in his dreams. He died and went to heaven, but it turned out to be hell. Lucifer threw him in a pit of fire for the years of not believing him. Trixie yelled, mad at him for some reason and she secretly turned out to be Lucifer's child instead of his. Lucifer flew him to the top of Lux and dropped him onto the street below.

Dan hated falling dreams. He didn't have a restful night.

Chloe texted in the morning to say she'd be at home with Trixie and to stay away for at least another day. It might be just a rampant stomach bug and not full-blown flu.

At least it's Saturday. Dan had the whole weekend to not go crazy. Hopefully.

There were a thousand things he could to text, but just sent back "Get better soon."

Lucifer felt charitable enough to make breakfast after completing his grooming routine and putting his hair back in place. He worked the espresso machine, made avocado toast, bacon, and pulled out fresh strawberries.

Dan showered and pulled on Lucifer's extra pajamas but nothing else. Other than his hair perfectly in place again, Lucifer dressed the same, his silk pajamas clinging invitingly.

Dan declined morning sex. He realized he became more comfortable at admitting to himself his coworker could be easy on the eyes.

The Devil sliced strawberries. "So?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to ask?"

Dan turned his small espresso mug around in a circle. "Ask what?"

"You're absolutely dying to know if Chloe knows. Honestly, you can be too polite, you know."

Dan winced. He did more of that lately. "Does she?"

"No."

Lucifer served up a plate for each of them, smiling to himself.

Dan rubbed his baggy eyes. "Okay, fine, why haven't you told her?"

"Detective, I've told everyone for ages-"

Dan pointed crisp bacon at him. "I know, I know, It's our fault, right?"

"No need to be rude either."

"Thanks for breakfast. Do you even need to eat?"

"I enjoy it. Humans tend to notice when their guests don't eat anything."

Every time he'd ever said 'humans' stuck in Dan's brain now. "How about that thing you do to suspects?"

"Part of my 'superpower' as Chloe calls it is drawing out desires of others. Sometimes people really do want to tell the truth."

"They can't want to be caught though?"

"They want acknowledgment. They don't want to be 'caught' but they do want to boast. I can influence them to override their better judgment."

"So why LAPD and not, say, FBI?"

"I despise paperwork. I doubt they'd give me a security clearance. You and the Detective are much more entertaining to work with."

Dan admired Lucifer's backside when he turned to the toaster. "I could get used to this breakfast thing."

Lucifer caught him looking and gleefully leaned over the bar, crossing well-toned arms. "You really are doing quite well so far. You aren't part-angel or demon yourself?"

Dan shook his head. "No, right now I'm just thinking of you as a friendly extraterrestrial with a bible obsession. So far, it's working. The longer I can put off thinking about an afterlife, the better. Shit. Demons. Maze?"

"And he's broken again. Well, it was a good try." He sipped his espresso. "Yes, Mazikeen is a demon. She came with me when we left."

Hell. When they left Hell. Dan automatically dry swallowed his toast.

Lucifer waited as if mentally ticking down. He reached out when Dan got out of his chair, resting a hand on his chest. "Yes, she's really a demon. No, Beatrice is not in danger, never has been. If anything, she's safer than any other child on the planet. No, I didn't suggest they move in together."

Dan unfroze by degrees but didn't quite trust himself to speak. He sat again and fiddled with another piece of bacon and tried to sort everything into new mental boxes he never imagined he'd have to make.

Lucifer stepped back. "All right?"

"Who knows about...?"

"Just you and Dr. Linda Martin."

"Will you tell Chloe? Really tell her?"

Lucifer's smiled dryly. "I guess I have to think about it. Like yourself, I want to put off reality as long as possible."

"Why wait?"

"I don't want to hurt her. I deeply feared Linda would end up permanently broken. I don't want that to happen to Chloe. I couldn't bear it."

"She's stronger than she looks, you know that."

"Is it worth that kind of risk? Even if she is stronger than she looks? Can you tell me you'd risk it? Breaking her would remove your child's mother from her life. You can't tell me you wouldn't blame me for all eternity."

Dan looked away. He would, at that. "But I'm okay. And you have been telling us for a while now."

"Did that matter until last night?"

"No, I guess not." Because I didn't believe you.

"Do you understand that I don't think I'd be able to fix her? You may not even be all right in the long run, it's only been a few hours."

"Is Linda?"

"She does seem to be, now."

"Maybe all the women are stronger."

"Well, you did meet mum."

Oh shit. He breathed very carefully. He did more than 'meet' her. "Please tell me she isn't your literal mother."

"Not in the biblical sense, I suppose. I mean, she avoided the whole actual birthing part."

"Oh no."

Dan would not sleep again ever.


	7. Double Occupancy

Dan had to swing back by his place for fresh clothes. Lucifer did not offer to share his Armani.

He did not want to sit at home alone, and he needed some space between himself and Lucifer today. On impulse, he swung by the precinct office. Weekend staffing made the place a ghost town. Ella, for reasons unknown, haunted her lab.

His phone rang. There were some missed texts from Chloe. He couldn't avoid her forever. "Hey, Chlo', how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Do you have a second?"

"You're fine?"

"Well, for now. Trixie isn't."

"What's up?"

"Can you or Lucifer bring by some casework later? I'm going stir crazy."

"Yeah, I stopped by the office, actually."

"...Did you guys have a good time?"

"Subtle as a train wreck, huh?"

"..."

"You know he adores you, right?"

She breathed out. "Yeah, I know."

Dan glanced around for prying ears. "Hey, do you ever take his Devil thing seriously?"

"What? That he could be the Devil? He getting to you now?"

Dan scratched his neck. "I mean, he's pretty attached to it."

"I never found out who he used to be. I won't let it go, but I figure he's not ready to tell me."

She jotted something down, stopped mid-stroke. "Wait, did he tell you?"

"Uh."

"Dan."

"Nothing. Let me get these files together for you. SayhitoTrixforme." He hung up.

Lucifer showed up a little later after Dan texted him. He shoved a box of files in Lucifer's arms and sent him out to Chloe's with barely a hello. Feeling slightly useful now, he poked his head into Ella's lab.

Ella tormented her intern by sending him out more than once, but he did find the missing part of the glass "work."

Her shirt today had a princess and a dragon hugging each other on it, a knight riding off away.

She marched over to him, pulling him down to her height, her voice tight. "What is going on, Mr. Espinoza?"

Dan's day is not improving. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do."

He did not need this today. "I can neither confirm, nor deny that Lucifer is the Devil." _Actually, I can._

Ella smacked him harder than she needed to. "No, you and.. Chloe. And Lucifer? Is that a thing?"

Oh right. Lucifer hadn't been keeping things low-key the other day. "Uhm."

She gasped. "Or are you trying to steal him from Chloe?"

"No! Ella."

She prodded him hard in the collarbone, voice strained and distraught. "Well? I will not put up with you breaking either of their hearts."

"It's, uhm. Complicated." _Also, Lucifer is totally the Devil. And he has huge fucking angel wings that glow._ Dan would not make it through the weekend. He didn't want to start it by upsetting Ella.

She shifted her weight. "Like, Facebook 'Complicated'?"

He thought about it. "Uhm. Actually yeah. Like that. Mostly."

"Okay then." In typical Ella fashion, she hugged him tightly. "You guys are all cute together. Just don't fuck it up, okay?" She nodded firmly, as if to herself and let go.

"Uhm. Did you have something case related? Is that why you're here?"

"Not yet. There are scuff marks on the glass piece that my intern found, but I still need to slice it up for examination. I don't have anything going on today, so I thought I'd get a head start. We get a lot of odd cases, but I guess I'm just really hoping it's not as cut and dry as it seems. You know, for three bodies."

"You want there to be a fourth person, huh?"

"It's all so senseless if there's no conspiracy."

He patted her shoulder. "What's that old curse about living in interesting times?"

She smiled, patting her eyes. "Yeah. We see a lot of death here; I just want it to mean something. Like, not that murder makes sense, but you know?"

"If it helps, I've had a bit of a crisis recently that's making me think about things differently."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Uhm." He rolled back Chloe's conversation. "Let's say Lucifer's one-man show is starting to get to me."

"Hey, is he like, all devily, all the time?"

Dan felt his face turning red.

"Oh! He is!?"

"Ella, have you ever been in a… 'It's complicated' relationship?"

"Oh yeah, the more chaos, the better, totally. Not right now though, why? are you looking for someone?"

Dan had one of his rare flashes of insight. "I mean, you seem to be taking the case a little personally?"

"I've dated multiple people at the same time, but not like." She fished around. "You guys?"

"Right. I'm not sure what 'us guys' are right now. I think I'm the side piece." _And I know more than I should._

"No offense, but I'm kinda rooting for Team DeckerStar. People don't really change much though, and he used to get a lot of tail. Like, LOTS."

"Yeah, I know. Chloe said she ran Lucifer's tests by you?"

She glared at him. "You know I can't discuss that." She shut the lab door tightly. She whispered, "That he's in insanely perfect health for anyone his age."

"Yeah?"

"He either grew up in a bubble or something because those results were too nuts."

"Like, he had been raised in a...not a barn?"

"Exactly. It's a great background for his persona, that's for sure."

Dan paused, watching the gold cross around her neck glint in the low lab light. "How well do you know your Bible?"

"Pretty well, why?"

* * *

Lucifer waltzed into his favorite detective's apartment still early in the day, loaded down with a full box of paper. Chloe started, sure the door had wasbeen locked.

She slapped on a face mask and shoved him back outside. "Lucifer! You can't come in. You'll get sick!"

He kissed her nose over the face mask, to her immediate horror.

"Douche sends his regards. And also this box of useless dead trees. And I won't get sick."

"Now is not the time to be the Devil. Of course you can get sick."

He sounded vaguely insulted. "I assure you, I'll be fine."

She huffed. "Fine. But don't say I didn't tell you so. And at least don't get near Trixie." She pulled the mask down and let him back in.

Lucifer felt obligated to ask, "How is the child?"

Chloe pulled back her long hair into a rough bun. "She stopped throwing up, her fever is down a little, and she's sleeping."

"Oh thank goodness."

She eyed him, unsure to which part his response referred. "Thanks for bringing the files. I can at least feel a little more productive now."

"I can help you be a little less productive if you want."

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "I'm covered in flakes of 'spawn' vomit, but I appreciate the thought."

"Shower then."

"Lucifer."

"That wasn't a suggestion. Come on." He pointed her to the bedroom with master bath, shedding his jacket, shepherding her along. Well, she would be awash in germs after this morning.

Chloe went, pausing at Trixie's room to look in for a second.

"Okay, but only a shower."

In the time Chloe lightly closed Trixie's door and stepped into her bedroom, Lucifer shucked his clothes off and hopped on the bed, lounging on her decorative pillows. Because of course, he was. His long body gleefully drawn out against her covers. The morning sun from the window highlighted him in all the right places.

"One of these days you're going to show me your magic trick of getting out of the better part of a three-piece suit in five seconds." Chloe grudgingly took in the show of him on display, wishing she didn't feel disgusting. He spent more time on his face than she did most days. Sooner or later she would start stealing his products. Probably sooner.

She nodded towards the bathroom "I guess you think you're joining me." She got her messy hair loose, and finger brushed it. It hadn't been any better in a bun.

He grinned. "It'd be ungracious of you to leave me like this in your bedroom all by myself. Who knows what trouble I might get up to?"

"Pfft. Alone in a room?" She crossed her arms, pulling off her gross and child-crusted shirt. She didn't bother with a bra today. "On second thought…" She dropped it with a face.

Lucifer's eyes were on her like she's a glammed up stripper as opposed to a bedraggled mom fighting not to get her kid's virus. He sat up, watching her, contagious energy practically floating around him in an aura. "Okay, maybe you can join me." She grinned and shimmied out of her flannel bottoms and underwear and kicked them in the general direction of the laundry basket.

"Feel free to put on a show for me any time."

She leaned down to peck him on the cheek. Lucifer swept her by the waist down to the bed and kissed her soundly.

She squeaked, smiling under him. "Seriously, I don't want you to get sick." She didn't pull very far away though. Not with those delicious bare hips pressing up against her. Chloe rolled up with a grunt. "Shower. I'm gross."

Lucifer led the way, starting the water while Chloe grabbed an extra towel and hung it up. He held the shower door open for her like a carriage. She grinned, smacked his ass and stepped in.

The water ran gloriously hot. Him too. There's something to be said for company in showers.

Chloe tipped her face up to the stream. Lucifer's height meant he would have to duck, but he came in to help her, not get wet. Lucifer reached past her shoulders for the soap, trailing up her arms on the way. He lathered her back, taking longer than strictly necessary, not that she minded.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed it. Pressing fingertips into her shoulders, he took advantage of building slick bubbles to massage her tight knots. Chloe "mmmmmm'd" and braced herself against the wall under the spray, letting it run through her hair. He lifted her hair forward to get all of her neck and back, tickling her neck.

He dug in, grabbing her loofa for a leisurely scrub down her ribs, then up again around and over her breasts and sternum. Lucifer leaned lightly into her back, torso pressed up against her, kissed the top of her head, traded out the soap for shampoo and took a step back for room, gently working it into her scalp with long fingers. He got his thumbs in behind her ears and rubbed in wide, slow circles. Chloe stretched her neck down, lengthening her spine.

"You could spoil a girl this way." She turned to let the water rinse off the shampoo, raising her arms to lift her hair and help it run through. She kissed his jaw.

Lucifer, smiling like a cat, applied conditioner and worked it through her length. He tilted her head into the water to rinse with a pleasant little neck nibble. Chloe hummed with closed eyes, and he turned her to face the shower head again.

He sunk down to the balls of his feet and applied soap to her ankles. As if oblivious to her butt, he laced his sudsy fingers between her toes, and her nerves twitched pleasantly.

Chloe twisted to see him. Water droplets clung to his coiffed hair in tiny prisms. Steaming water running down his neck and chest mixed with what ran off her. Lucifer leaned in, to mouth the inside of her lower legs one a time. He sponged up her knees and shins, following the outside of her thighs with leisurely kisses.

His face inched up higher, and she couldn't twist in place far enough, so she looked down her legs.

Lucifer's hands appeared between her thighs, soap in one. He knuckled her legs apart. She swallowed. Perching low on the floor behind her, he tickled her soft skin with his cheek. He nipped one ass cheek, working up more lather under her, long fingers trading the bar back and forth just in front of her legs. He switched cheeks, tongue and mouth playing with the crease of her upper thigh and ass.

She watched his hands rubbing the bar of soap, suds dripping down from between his fingers to wash down the drain.

She heard herself whine.

"Just a shower, love?"

"Get me dirty again."

* * *

Chloe sprawled on her bed after double checking the room door lock. Lucifer lay next to her, tracing her ribs, extremely satisfied with himself.

She ran her fingers through his curls until they were entirely out of place. He only put up a token resistance. She touched his face. "One of these days I'm going to figure out the source of your superpowers. Sexy and otherwise." Chloe sat up.

Lucifer clammed up, uncharacteristically quiet.

She poked him in the ribs. "Hey. I have to get dressed and check on Trix soon. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

She pulled her hair back. "Uhm. Did you have fun last night?"

He chuckled. "Oh, definitely. It'll be better with you there."

She blushed and tugged on fresh underwear. "I meant to ask, did you talk to Dan about your past?"

"Past? No, that didn't come up. Did he say that?"

Chloe tilted her head. Her hair still damp from the shower, dripped a little. "He indicated you opened up to him a little."

"Detective, you surprise me. That's the part you're worried about?"

She straddled his hips, "I don't even know who you used to be. It's like part of you is cut off from me. A big part. Something I can't access. That no one can, maybe." She rested her hands on his abs.

Lucifer touched her thighs. "I'm who I've always been."

"Lucifer Morningstar, ruler of Hell?"

"Ex-ruler."

"And before that?"

"King James isn't far off on that bit."

Chloe groaned, falling back on his legs, hers folded under her. He picked up her fingers where she dropped them. He wove his long toes into her damp hair. She touched his ring, tilted her head down her body to look at it. She idly wiggled it on his finger. It didn't budge. "You never take that off."

"I've had it forever."

"Literally, huh?"

"Indeed."

She stared at her ceiling.

"Dan thinks I'm an alien.", he offered.

She laughed. "Well, that's certainly one possibility."

Her back didn't like this position. She let go of his hands to sit up, still astride him. He retook her hands, rubbing her knuckles. She watched him.

"Are there aliens?"

He thought about it. "Probably."

"Wouldn't you know?"

"I lit millions of stars. More. Didn't stick around for all of them."

"Just this one?"

"Worked out that way. No aliens in hell though. Doubt any turned up in the last few years I've been gone. Interesting question though. If any died in orbit, would they turn up in my hell or theirs?"

Chloe sighed, leaned forward and kissed him.


	8. Netflix and Chill

Chloe put her hair up in a neat and brushed ponytail and dressed a little more carefully than the first time she rolled out of bed. She had the requested case files spread out on the table and a mug of coffee gone cold nearby. Her mood improved vastly by the shower and Lucifer, and she attacked the notes with a vengeance.

Lucifer, dressed once again sans jacket and waistcoat, lounged on her couch. The TV on and Chinese takeout lunch containers occupying flat surfaces in the kitchen. From the dining nook, Chloe smiled to herself. He'd volunteered to get lunch delivered to avoid going out. Between that and a few hours marathoning Star Trek, the day made her think of a married couple with some time in.

Trixie sat on the floor, drawing with crayons. She conquered a short-lived but violent, stomach bug and would be bouncing off the walls again soon. Since Lucifer arrived that morning, her daughter hadn't thrown up but wasn't quite up to eating more than plain white rice. She put up a front for Lucifer despite her rough night.

Netflix had been running for hours on her flat screen. In the beginning, Lucifer immediately latched on to Q as a fellow vastly misunderstood antagonist figure and became obsessed with him. "He's no celestial, but instant teleportation and willful manifestations would be nice powers to have. However, is this entire show this painful?"

He warmed up considerably once they skipped forward.

"Don't worry. Before they change Troi's costume again, you'll want to buy a uniform on eBay. 'Course, I like the mostly black ones in Voyager more. at blue."

Lucifer grunted. "How many of these bloody things are there?"

"You don't want to know. Five series, I think?"

He grunted and muttered something about 'humans with far too much time on their hands.'

They'd gotten up to "Measure of a Man," skipping most of the first season and a few of the second of _Next Generation_ , with good reason.

The options if he wanted to stay were to help with paperwork, entertain Trixie and/or Netflix and chill and stay out of her hair while she went through the case notes. Other than his running commentary on the show and complaining about the 4x3 formatting, the plan worked.

"How have you never heard of Earl Grey tea? Aren't you British?"

"Hellish."

Chloe side-eyed him. "So, what, you just picked the accent?"

"Pretty much. The U.K. wasn't exactly around yet when I came to be. I like it. It makes me kind of exotic here in L.A."

She snorted. "Being 'the Devil' wasn't exotic enough for you?"

"I didn't choose that part. I can't exactly walk around speaking Latin and expect to communicate with everyone. And as a rule, I avoid churches."

Chloe rolled her eyes at the ceiling. "Are you sure you didn't grow up in a convent? Or on Mars?"

"Oh! Did you know Mars had been a sort of real deity? A group of lesser angels took up in Rome and played at being gods for a few hundred years. Dad finally got around to dealing with them when too many participated in the fun. It started out with just a few, and then rather got out of hand. Still, don't know if Father let them alone on purpose for a while or only just found later out and scattered them."

Chloe blinked. "...That's not a version I've heard before."

"Personally, I think Dad just doesn't like anyone to have too much fun. The parties were amazing. Lasted weeks sometimes."

"Uh huh. And I'm sure the Devil had nothing to do with getting that started."

He turned back to her, "Oh, I absolutely did. Tempting humans is entertaining, but getting away with tempting a gaggle of prideful angels for a couple of centuries was tremendously fun. They never even knew it was 'the Devil.'"

Chloe stared at him.

Trixie finished her current drawing with a crayon flourish.

She got up and presented Lucifer with her work depicting a red horned devil in a gold Starfleet uniform, complete with a little badge. And cartoon devil tail. She included tails on nearly every drawing in spite of his protests that he didn't have one. She used most of a black crayon to make a space-y frame and filled in a bright red planet surface under him.

Lucifer accepted it with a restrained sigh. "What? Not command red?"

She frowned between him and the sketch. "Nah. Gold looks better on you."

Chloe looked over Lucifer's shoulder. "She's right you know. I could see you in the blue too. If there's not a hole in the wall to cover, there will be soon. We'll find a place for it. Nice job, Monkey."

Trixie hopped up and added the drawing to her 'to hang up' stack on the counter. A growing stack of color coated paper depicting devils and angels, along with more messy versions with her mom, Lucifer, Maze, and Dan. She plopped back down in her spot and carefully picked up a new sheet.

He grumbled about the tail, under his breath. Louder, "Any luck, Detective?"

Chloe scratched her neck. "I'm going cross-eyed. Everything here looks like a crime of passion, not premeditated. I need more eyeballs on this."

"It's the weekend, Detective. Work will be there on Monday."

"A killer could be out there right now though."

"Do we have a suspect yet?"

"No. Ugh. I need to go to the station. You can stay here and watch Trixie or you both can come along."

Lucifer watched a digital Enterprise flash across the screen at a built-in pause for a commercial cut. "Beatrice and I want to see how this one ends."

"Well. I guess I can bounce ideas off Pierce…"

He paused the episode. "Let's go find some eyeballs."

* * *

Chloe, Dan, and Ella had the whiteboard out. Lucifer raided the work fridge for stray pudding. Trixie went with him. Pierce had come in to catch up on paperwork. It became almost like a regular work day.

The 'glass work' got locked up in Ella's lab. She had her slices done and results back. The scuff mark sizes matched the size and shape of the head injury.

Ella taped up a blown-up photo of a slide. "So, a few nights ago, Brent had been reported missing. He hadn't been away that long and the circumstances weren't suspicious, so it got filed under 'check back in 24 hours'. Of course, they found him dead the next morning. So, why is he missing?"

She taped a photo of Rachel. "The roommate said that the three of them got into an argument, Brent stalked off and couldn't be reached again after that. We don't know if he just didn't pick up his phone, it's off or there's no signal. Rachel left the house a while after Brent to go look for him, but supposedly stayed in touch with Ken, who remained at the house until later, again, according to the roommate."

Lucifer appeared, he and Trixie each with a pudding.

Dan growled, "Hey."

"We left you some. If you desire, I'll compensate you appropriately."

Dan flushed.

Ella grinned conspiratorially at Dan and Chloe.

"With more pudding. Honestly, what were you thinking of? There's a child present."

Chloe bit her lip. "Anyway, almost all our information right now is being filtered through the roommate, which is a problem. The thing is, all other communication had to be through their website. The three victims kept to themselves, for the most part. The neighbors have no idea there's, uhm, a show filming on their street, and the three of them wanted to keep it that way."

She stopped. "Actually, Monkey, can you go see if Pierce, uhm, needs anything?"

"I don't like him."

Lucifer positively beamed.

Ella took Trixie by the hand. "I'll go walk her around the building? Is that okay sweetie?"

Trixie nodded and skipped toward the door. Ella, without hesitation, broke into a skip after her. "My notes are right over there!"

Chloe brought up the website in question on her work iPad. "So, they haven't updated it yet. It hasn't been long, but I don't think the roommate has posted the last video for sale yet."

Lucifer nodded. "Good old greed, is it? One of the least interesting deadly sins."

Dan did a double take. "They really are deadly?"

"They got coined that way for a reason, but not always. Not a motive for murder in this case, just opportunity to make a few more sales before the site goes down. Shame."

Chloe agreed, "It's not like they can film more live shows without the cast. Claire said she participated in a tryout for the show, right?"

Lucifer leaned in "Oh, yes, are clips available?"

She pulled the tablet away from him. "I mean, what if someone came in for a tryout, didn't make the cut, and wanted convoluted revenge? Multiple murders is a bit much though."

Dan sat in a chair. "Crimes of passion get pretty ugly. We get way too many dead bodies from domestic disputes."

Lucifer gestured vaguely. "I'm sure. You wouldn't believe what percentage of hell's population are spur of the moment murderers."

Dan flinched.

Chloe eyed them, catching Dan's flinch. "Really? What percent would you say?"

Their civilian consultant shrugged. "As opposed to premeditated?" he wiggled his hand. "I'd say close to thirty percent? Sins that present themselves in the heat of the moment are very attractive. And can be very damning."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "...Anyway. So we finally at least have something to look for. If Claire can get us a list of previous tryouts, we can ask some questions. Assuming Claire is innocent herself."

"Oh, I doubt she's innocent."

"Of murder, Lucifer."

"Oh that. Multiple murders, especially at once, take a special kind of mind. I don't think Claire has it in her."

"She might be able to point us at someone. People can hide pretty major aspects of themselves for a long time without anyone finding out, but maybe she picked something up."

Dan fidgeted. "They were running a sex site, right? The house itself may not even be a real residence."

Chloe nodded. "That's an excellent thought, actually, Maybe there's another off-site place, maybe an apartment where the, uhm, couple, could just have a life? Claire said she was a roommate, but she seemed a little weird about it. Maybe she's hiding something."

Her ex looked thoughtful. "It might have just been something she says. If she was part of the group, she might not have wanted to broadcast that fact. 'Roommate' probably sounds better to strangers than 'second girlfriend'."

Lucifer sighed. "Honestly, people should be upfront. It's much easier that way."

Chloe poked him. "Yes, that would be much easier than maintaining a fictional persona for seven or maybe more years."

Dan blanched. Chloe had to have a talk with him later.

Lucifer frowned. "Why? Did Claire do that? Did you uncover a previous identity?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not yet. Dan, can you take Trixie for the rest of the day? Lucifer and I can go back to the house and talk to Claire again if she's still there."

"Sure, I can take her to the park when they come back."

"Excellent. Let's take my car." Which conveniently would only hold himself and Chloe.

Small incoming footsteps echoed down the hallway followed by girlish squeals. Lucifer stood up to peer in that direction got plowed into by Trixie, then Ella, in a double-hug pileup. "Lucifer! We're back! We had a race!" Trixie clutched Lucifer's legs, Ella around his waist right behind.

The assaulted Devil recoiled like he'd been hit by a steamroller. "Detectives! Don't just stand there, do something! They're going to wrinkle my suit!"

With a huge smile, Chloe stepped up and wrapped her arms around them from the opposite side. Lucifer's hopeful look at her approach turned disgruntled. Dan gamely got up and hugged from around Ella, who smiled like a Cheshire cat and hummed, nuzzling Lucifer's arm.

The Devil was not amused. "Really? How is that helping?"

Pierce pushed open his door, peered out at them, closed it and went back to his desk.

Lucifer managed to pry everyone off him and straightened his suit. "Was that necessary?"

Chloe kissed him on the cheek. "Absolutely." She looked at Ella, "You should know Trixie's been sick. You might want to wash your hands. Or maybe take a shower since it looks like you two also wrestled in the grass outside."

"Maaaaaaaaaaybe."

Lucifer got a look on his face and immediately checked his trousers for grass stains. "We're swinging by Lux first so I can change. I think I also need a flask refill."


	9. The Internet is really really great

he grass stain was imperceptible. Lucifer bitched about it like a herd of corgis splashed through a mud lake and then rolled around on him. He nearly drove them to the club sans slacks. Chloe managed to keep him from taking his pants off in the parking lot, but only barely.

Lux was slow for a Saturday. Someone Lucifer didn't know played his piano on the club floor, but it wasn't off-limits to patrons during the day. There were enough people present that Chloe felt infinitely happy that he still had clothes on.

The bartender waved to them with a smile.

Up in the apartment, she detected a whiff of bacon smell from breakfast. The bed was made. Chloe wasn't sure what she wanted to find.

Lucifer offered to double check that she was still completely clean after this morning. Just in case. She swatted him away and sent him to his closet. Something in a familiar square plastic package sat out on the bar.

"Lucifer?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Are those cinnamon roll cupcakes?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Did you get them for me? These are my favorite!"

"Oh! Those monstrosities. No, Daniel brought them over last night. For you, as a matter of fact."

She blinked. "Wow. That was nice of him."

"If you say so."

She smiled to herself, popped the cover and pulled off a bite. "They're really good if you microwave them first."

Lucifer reappeared in a new three-piece, adjusting the coordinating pocket square.

"Did you have to change your shirt too?"

"Didn't go with this shade."

She pecked him on the cheek. "You are so metro it's scary. You wanna at least tell me whatever you told Dan last night so I can be in on the loop?"

She sensed his shields raise, metaphorically. "This and that. We talked about Dr. Linda some."

Oh, that made more sense. He praised her insights all the time. "Oh, are you still seeing her for therapy? Did you have some kind of breakthrough about your dad?" She tore off another chunk of the frosted cupcake and chewed.

He hedged, "Something like that. Daniel came into contact with something he shouldn't have."

Chloe nodded, "And it's related to your sessions? Is that why you can't tell me?"

Lucifer sighed. "I can tell you. I don't want to."

She flailed internally and composed herself. "Why not?"

He rolled his eyes. "That thing where I don't lie?"

She frowned. "So, you said something to Dan, and now he suddenly believes you are the Devil? Or did you get him to play along?" Chloe licked frosting off her fingers, thinking. "What does that have to do with your dad? Or does it help to have someone indulge you?"

Lucifer nodded. "I don't think Dan has recovered yet, but yes, he does believe me now. Mostly. I think he's still betting on 'alien.' Hopefully, by next weekend he'll have sorted out his poor brain. I think he'll be alright, but it might be too soon to tell."

"This better not have anything to do with me making you watch Star Trek. If you decide you're from the Klingon homeworld instead of being the Devil, the whole station will have to re-arrange their coping mechanisms." She finished off a cupcake. "Ella would love it though. She'd have someone else to speak Klingon with."

Lucifer eyed her sticky fingers, but brightened., "Oh that's right. Klingon got recognized as an official language sometime in the last decade, didn't it? Hang on." He held up a finger and pointed at a bottle of brandy. "HIq." He bounced on his heels, looking pleased. "Thanks, Detective, you're correct. I'll converse with Ella in Klingon next time I see her. Do you think she's fluent?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, I guess we'll find out then."

"You do make life more interesting."

"I try."

Chloe washed her hands in the sink. Lucifer relaxed. She dried her hands. "I'll make a deal with you."

"Excellent. My specialty."

"I'll try to take your Satan status more...legitimately, but sometime before the end of the year, you have to tell me who you were before you came to L.A."

Lucifer refilled his flask. "Why?"

She looked away, torn. "Because I can't have a real romantic relationship with a fictional character. If you want, I promise I won't call you anything other than "Lucifer," but I wish you'd tell me at least a little about your real past."

"Detective!"

"I've never known you as anyone other than 'Lucifer Morningstar.' That's okay. I just would like to know who you used to be."

"There are swaths of humans roaming the Internet who would disagree with your statement about romantic relationships with fictional characters. Which, by the way, Internet ought to be a thing in the afterlife. Quite inventive."

"So you're saying there's no WiFi in heaven?"

"Oh, I could ask Amenadiel. But I doubt they've instituted anything like it."

Chloe rubbed her face. "Maybe Dan is right on the alien theory. You have basically no history on the Internet before you came here."

Lucifer huffed. "You tried already, right?"

She bit her lip. "I did. When you first joined. I even paid for a package online for a face-matching service. They couldn't find an older photo of you. The best they did was finding mention of a guy who looked like you claiming to be "Lucifer Morningstar." but that happened, oddly enough, in L.A. but more than 30 years ago. No photo."

"Oh, yes, there you go, that was me too. Wasn't a permanent relocation then, just taking an occasional holiday for my amusements."

She would chew her lips off if she kept biting them. "You've turned down the LAPD's offer to make you an official consultant and give you a contract salary per case. You've turned it down twice. I know you make money running this club, but it can't hurt to have the extra income security."

Lucifer stashed the flask away and straightened his cuffs. "Well, let's just say it would impact my tax filings negatively."

"Okay, fine. But do we have a deal?"

"It's not my fault you don't believe me."

"Isn't it?"

He shuffled. "We should get moving on your case."

"Lucifer."

"Telling you about my past isn't going to be very convincing if you don't believe I'm the Devil."

More internal flailing. "How about later tonight? Maybe Dan can come over, and we can talk together?"

He smiled. "I can think of plenty of things we can do together."

She flushed. "You don't have to start with 'everything.' Just one thing. Tell me one thing tonight that you haven't told me before about your past, okay?"

"One thing it is."

Claire opened the door and smiled sadly. "Hey." Her hair back and not looking like she'd slept well. She wasn't wearing makeup.

Chloe and Lucifer stepped in. "You okay?"

"Yeah.. no. I'm on my way out to stay with a friend. I can't stay with the house basically empty. I keep expecting to see someone and they aren't here. They won't be." She had a packed bag under one arm.

"I'm sorry about the timing, but can we ask you a few questions before you go? And do you mind if we poke around inside?"

"Sure, I can leave in a few minutes." She let them in. "Can I get you a drink?"

She cut off Lucifer. "No, thank you. We wanted to get a look at files that might not be publicly available?"

She eyed them with uncertainty. "I don't know if they're mine to give access to."

"We're looking into a theory that there might be a person or persons who didn't do well in a tryout and might be unhappy about it."

Claire blinked. "Oh! Uhm. Maybe? They didn't keep my tape, so I doubt they kept anyone else's. But I bet I can find the list of previous applicants."

Lucifer up at the ceiling again. "I don't suppose that's on all the time?"

"No, but the security cameras are."

"Okay, maybe we can match up applicants to faces and see if they came back around the house to snoop."

Claire looked confused. "Oh, the tryouts didn't happen here. But the business was run out of the back office. This way."

Lucifer resembled a gopher popping up at everything they passed on the walk to the back. "Is this where you keep your costume closet? I think I know that sparkly red number. Is that a new camera location? Who does your sound during the shoot? Do you have an editing bay here or off-site?"

Claire tiredly waved them on. "Yes, that's where they kept costumes. Not a new camera, the sound guy only comes in on shoot days, and I do the editing in the same back office here."

The editing room at the end of the hall opened with glass paned french doors that had a lock on them. The walls were layered with soundproofing foam on most of the available flat surfaces. Headsets, multiple flat screens with camera identifiers, and a few computers made up a sophisticated work station. A soundboard with sliders sat to one side, with scattered sticky-notes on several surfaces. The cameras were on, but none showed the editing bay itself.

The Detective was impressed. "What's going to happen to all this equipment?"

"I don't know. The guys that owned the company are gone, Maybe the investors or the people who advertise on our site will get involved."

"Can you get us copies of the lists you mentioned here, or are those off-site?"

She opened a cabinet. "One sec."

Lucifer patted a computer lovingly. "Perhaps a copy of the most recent show?"

Chloe glared over her shoulder at Lucifer. "Claire, when we came here the other day, you said you were a roommate?"

She winced. "I don't officially live here yet. I moved out here for the gig, and I don't actually have a place of my own yet. Luckily I have a friend in the area. I guess I won't be getting a place."

"I hope you don't mind not leaving the state in the next few weeks? We might need you to come in to help identify suspects or verify information."

"I'd really rather not stick around. I don't have a job anymore, or a place."

Lucifer perked up. "Oh, you know what?"

Chloe stopped him. "No. You are not going to offer your apartment for another case suspect slash informant slash insider slash anything."

"Detective! I have a few guest bedrooms between my flat and the club floor."

"Is that what you were going to offer?"

"Well. I am now."

Claire warily shifted her bag and her blue eyes. "Your flat?"

"Apartment. You could be accessible to the police, and you won't have to worry about rent or inconveniencing your friend."

"I appreciate the offer, but-"

"Excellent. Come over later to Lux and someone on my staff will show you around."

Chloe hauled him off by the elbow. Again. "Lucifer. Really?"

"What's wrong? The lady needs a place to stay to ensure she's available for the case, and I have places to stay."

"What about tonight?"

"The guest bedrooms are out of the way. She won't be a bother at all."


	10. Tex-Mex Mess

Lucifer dropped Chloe off at her place before returning to Lux. At her apartment, Dan waited for her with Trixie after the park trip. He crouched on the floor with their daughter. She looked clean and happy again, and not as if she'd spent half of last night miserable.

Dan looked up with a half-smile. "I like the hanging artwork. Trixie has been busy, huh?"

Chloe leaned down to give him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for taking her for a few hours. I think we made some headway on the case."

"Yeah?"

"There's a bunch of stuff I want to run by you on Monday."

Trixie shifted on the floor, coloring and trying not to look like she was snooping.

"Hi, Monkey!" Chloe dropped to the floor and squeezed her tight. "You okay?"

Dan winced. "She might be coming down from a chocolate ice cream sugar high."

"Might be?"

"I didn't realize she hadn't eaten much today, because she was sick. So I kind of let her overdo it on the treats."

"Dan."

Trixie pouted. "It's okay, mommy, I talked dad into it. Don't be mad at him."

She pressed her head against Trixie's. "You should reserve your powers for extra special treats and not just ice cream."

Trixie squeezed back with a grin. "Oh, I do! Dad has no idea I can make him give me anything I want!"

"I'm right here, you know."

The girls glanced up at him. "I guess that makes me the bad cop. I'm glad you're feeling better, hon. You didn't throw up the ice cream, then?"

"Nope!"

"Okay, but that was your big sugar splurge this week, okay? No more ice cream for a week."

"How about cake?"

"We'll see, okay? Can you go play in your room for a little bit, baby?"

She knew she was about to miss something juicy. "Awww."

"Shoo. Love you, Monkey."

Trixie scampered off. She peeked out her door while watching them with her head sideways and sliding it closed as slowly as humanly possible.

Chloe picked herself up and waved Dan to the far side of the kitchen.

"Is Maze home?"

"No, I haven't seen her today."

"So the sitter is coming soon, for real this time. Can you come by Lux tonight?"

Dan eyed her. "Yeeeeeeees?"

Chloe licked her lips. Dan's pale eyes were so different from Lucifer's deep dark ones. Striking in different ways. "You were acting a little off earlier."

Dan straightened, defensive. "Okay?"

She rolled her neck. "Are you suddenly buying Lucifer's Devil thing?"

"What makes you ask that?"

She sighed. "So, you are."

Dan checked over her shoulder. Trixie's door had been inching silently open. "Can we talk about this later tonight? With Lucifer?"

Chloe glanced back and the door slid shut again, just as slowly and silently. She crossed her arms and scowled. "Yes. Definitely."

* * *

Chloe spotted Maze on her way up to Lucifer's apartment. The crowd was thin this time of early evening at Lux and the music at a reasonable volume. The woman braced against the bar, one arm tugging on something that seemed to be mounted inside and against the wall.

"Hey, Maze." She stopped on the other side of the bar. Her roommate wore her usual variety of black leather and metal bits. Thank gods she was a successful bounty hunter because Chloe had no earthly idea what else Maze would be doing, or how she'd pay rent. Maze had no desire to tend bar anywhere else, but she was good at that too.

Maze looked up cooly. "Hey." Her toned shoulder jerked, and a longsword flashed out from below the counter with the sound of wrenched wood. "Gotcha! I knew I left something under there."

Chloe stopped, hooking her hands into her jean pockets, and yet somehow not surprised. "Why do you have a sword under the bar?

Maze held it up triumphantly under the club lighting. It wasn't particularly unique looking to Chloe, the long edges glinting when she tilted it, but otherwise unremarkable. The middle may have been darker than the sides, but it was hard to tell. Maze tested the edge with her thumb, then set it on the bar surface carefully to not scratch the wood surface. "I'll have to oil the blade."

Chloe eyed it curiously. "Emergency sword?"

She shrugged, flippant. "When you own as many weapons as I do, you sometimes run out of space to store them."

"What's with the medieval bent? Hunting vampires?"

Maze glowered at Chloe like she was an idiot. "Vampires aren't real, Chloe."

Chloe crossed her arms. "Right, of course. My mistake. Werewolves?"

"Nope." Maze leaned over the sword, resting her elbows on the bar. The move squeezed her boobs together in the tight top. "Just your run-of-the-mill demons, angels, 'Dad,' 'Mum,' and of course, Lucifer. None of whom are actually supposed to be on earth."

Chloe winced at the bitterness in Maze' voice. She tried to lighten the mood. "Okay, so no scary movie monsters, but Satan is real?"

Maze didn't catch the sarcasm. "Uh. Yeah. You've been getting busy for a few months now, so I hope so." She perked up. "Unless you have a Satan blow-up doll stashed under your bed. Oohhh, do you?"

"No!" She leaned in and lowered her voice. "I have never even bought a blow-up doll. Why am I having this conversation with you?"

Smirking, "Aw. I mean, they don't exactly hold up for more than one night, so I guess I can't blame you."

Chloe swallowed. "You have-you had a blow-up devil doll?"

Maze licked her lips. "Nah. Angel. The wings fell off after ten minutes. Depressing."

"You're hot enough to have literally anyone, and you bought a blow-up toy?"

She shrugged. "You ever browse online after drinking too much? Amazon had a deal. It showed up. No point in wasting it." Maze reached up and grabbed a bottle of sugar cane rum.

"Ooookay. Uhm. What are you doing with the sword? Is that normal bounty hunting equipment?"

"Not usually, no. Sometimes I just like having extra pointy things. It's more fun that way. If the target wets themselves, I give myself more points." She got a sly look on her face. "Hey, do you know any priests?"

She drew back slightly. "Not really, no? Why?"

"Oh, right, you're atheist, aren't you? Funny."

Chloe cocked her head. "Why do you want a priest?"

Maze set two shot glasses on the counter. "I might need some holy water. I can't touch it myself, obviously, but I'm hunting another demon so it might come in handy. Do you think you could pick it up for me after I find a holy man?"

"I...guess?"

"Thanks, roomie!"

"Uh, Maze?"

"Yeah?"

Chloe bit her lip. "You came here with Lucifer right?"

"Today? Nah, I have my own ride."

"I mean when you guys came to L.A.?"

Maze leaned on her elbow, dropping her face in her hand, eyeing Chloe over her wrist. "What brought this on?"

She groaned.

"Well? Fess up." Maze poured out two double shots. And drank them both.

Chloe clasped her hands on the bar. "I think Dan believes Lucifer now."

"Reeeeeaally? So years of Lucifer repeatedly telling you mortals who he was finally worked?"

Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose. "Worked on Dan."

"So, what's the problem?"

"Do you think Dan might be trying to… uh. Steal Lucifer?"

"Ugh. No."

Chloe flushed. "Why?"

"Because Lucifer has mooned over you since he met you. If Dan tried to get between you two-" She grinned evilly, "Metaphorically, Lucifer would toss Dan over the balcony."

The mortal blushed again. "We haven't done the non-metaphorical one yet."

"You won't."

Her gaze came up. "Huh?"

"Chloe, I adore you, but you are so vanilla. You are never going to get your sexy naked on with both of them at once. It's nice Lucifer gets to have some extra fun, though."

Chloe leaned in and hissed, "It was my idea!"

Maze glanced down at her sword and palmed the hilt, stroking it suggestively in a loose grip.

Chloe stepped back. "What are you doing?"

The bounty hunter looked down her nose at her friend. "You can't even deal with fake sex. Face it. There's no way you can share him in bed." Her face recalled a filthy memory, and she hummed to herself. "C'mon, 'Detective', what are you going to do with two actual cocks in your face at once?"

Chloe went red. Flaming. Fires of hell red. "Uh."

"Honey, do yourself a favor and just let the boys play once in a while. Or, you could try watching them fuck, that's always fun. Hot men going at it is a great masturbation fantasy. Especially when you have a real visual to playback for yourself." She smiled wickedly.

Her blood rush subsided. A little. "I could do that."

Maze picked up the sword and licked the tip. "Yeah, until you get jealous."

She couldn't hold back the flinch. "Why do you think I'd get jealous?"

"Because you're human."

Chloe heard the implied, ' _and he isn't'_ clear as day.

She shifted to sit on the bar stool and tucked her legs under. "You always sound so-"

Maze was already walking away, dragging the sword off the counter. "Later, chickee. I have a demon to hunt." She spun around in place once to salute Chloe with her sword and kept going out the door.

"Well, then," Chloe said to no one. She poured herself a shot.

* * *

Lucifer greeted her at the elevator with a warm kiss. "Hello again, Detective. You're early. Not that I'm complaining." His scruff brushed her cheek, leaving tingles.

"Dan volunteered to stay with Trixie until the sitter shows up."

"I take it the disaster area is no longer under quarantine?"

"Yeah, we're good now. Trixie seems to have regenerated in a few hours. Have you had dinner yet?"

Lucifer gifted her a wry smile. "Would you like to stay in or _eat out_?"

Chloe swatted him. "Maybe later, sex-for-brains. Aren't those the same thing?"

"Depends on your sense of adventure, Detective."

Hah. That would be funny if she had any sexual sense of adventure.

 _The hell with it._ "Take your pants off."

"Oh, well-"

"Shut mouth. Pants off."

* * *

For the second time today, Chloe reclined in the arms of her lover. With the potential of an even longer and very interesting night.

Maybe.

Lucifer stretched out like a satisfied cat. His naked body was never not lovely.

He squeezed her bare ass and got up. "That was nice. Need a robe or can I interest you in remaining naked for the rest of the night?"

"Robe. And food. Preferably delivered."

"Wine?"

"Please."

"I can't refuse my favorite Detective when she says 'please.' Or anything else.."

She slipped into a black silk robe, held open for her. Chloe stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck.

Lucifer slipped on loose pajama pants. The ones Chloe liked to watch him in. He certainly enjoyed watching her wearing his robes.

The food delivery person got an eyeful when the Tex-Mex showed up. Those clingy pajama bottoms did nothing to conceal his lack of underwear. At least Lucifer didn't skimp on tips. And she didn't seem to mind the view all that much.

Tucking herself into the side chair, Chloe dug into her chicken mole eagerly.

"Hey, do you keep tabs on Maze bounties?"

"Not unless she needs a favor, why?"

"She said she was hunting a demon. It sounded weird, even for her."

Lucifer's face froze. "Really? Did she say which one?"

"No...?"

"When was this?"

Chloe shrugged. "Before I came up? She was in Lux, took a sword from under the bar, did some shots and left."

He cursed. "Excuse me, love." Lucifer stepped away from his enchiladas and grabbed his phone. Chloe stole a bite of his with a quick stab of her fork.

The elevator deposited Dan as Lucifer walked off. He hesitated at the lip of the entrance, taking them in. His eyes snapped to Lucifer's naked back. "Am I interrupting something?"

Chloe felt mildly put out by him watching Lucifer and not her. _Well, he was nice to look at._ "No, and I ordered you nachos."

"Oh! Uh."

"The chips are packed separately, so they aren't soggy."

Dan grinned and grabbed the unpacked bag of food. The chips were still warm. "Thanks, Chlo."

Lucifer's voice carried across the room. "You should have told me someone got loose!"

Dan looked a question over at Chloe. "Maze is tracking down a demon."

He froze, almost the same way Lucifer did before, mid-chip scoop.

"I swear to God if you don't stop that I'm going to leave you two to yourselves."

"Stop what?"

She huffed. "It's bad enough Lucifer is...Lucifer. But now you're doing it too."

Dan glanced over at Lucifer, pacing on the phone with Maze. He sighed.

She squinted. "What?"

"Hang on a sec, until he comes back."

Lucifer walked back from the balcony. "Fine. Tell me when you have her." he hung up and dropped back onto the couch. "Sorry about that. Hello, other Detective!"

Chloe picked at her food. "Maze's bounty is a woman?"

He nodded. "Demoness. Escaped hell a few days ago, she assures me it won't be a problem." He frowned at his food but resumed eating. "I'll probably have to bring her back to hell, myself since she can't. Not looking forward to that."

Dan shifted uncomfortably.

Chloe stabbed her chicken. "I really don't know if I can deal with this tonight."

Her ex looked pained. Lucifer, concerned. "You all right, love?"

Chloe stood up. Dan and Lucifer stood up.

"I'm not alright." She tightened her robe. "I need something, Lucifer."

His face was awash in confusion. "What can I do, Detective?"

She wiped her face. "One thing. Tell me one thing about who you used to be."

"Well, I ruled hell for a very long time."

"Something real, Lucifer. Please? What was your first job as a kid? Did you mow lawns?"

Dan took up pacing, went to the bar, got a drink.

"Don't be ridiculous. I was barely even a 'kid.' Younger, maybe. My first 'job,' I suppose, was putting stars in the sky. Took ages."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Nope."

Lucifer reached out. "Chloe?"

She shook her head. "Just, nope." She turned to leave.

Dan swallowed his drink and stalked towards Lucifer from the bar, behind him.

"Detective?" His face was breaking.

Dan threw his arm forward, forcefully thwacking Lucifer in the middle of his back with an open hand.

Lucifer snapped rigid. White wings flew open with a shockwave, sending dinner, books, and a lamp all crashing to the floor.


	11. On the Fly

Nobody moved.

Bright wide wings stretched further than the couch arms. They bounced when they extended fully, then reflexively retracted to a comfortable resting position, floating in place as if they didn't look like they'd be at home on a Cessna.

Dan turned on his heel, walking the several paces it takes to get around an angel wing. He stepped wide around broken glass on the floor. "Well, I wasn't sure that was going to work." He said to no one.

Chloe's world slowed down to nothing. A part of her brain registered that it went exactly like they do it in the movies. She heard the sound of time itself. The sound of the universe.

Her eyes unfocused and her knees gave out. Her breath went out.

She sank to the floor, feet under her. The black robe rippled as it pooled around her. Her vision was framed by her golden hair falling around her face as she dropped.

She was aware of every individual woven fiber in the rug under her shins. She could have stopped to count her eyelashes before her next breath.

Dan sat down on the rug next to her, giving her space.

Lucifer's reverie broke. His voice was thunder. "DANIEL."

"Don't scare her." Dan took her limp hand. It was cold and clammy. "Chlo'?"

She blinked. She breathed. She looked up. "Dan?"

Lucifer stood in place, distraught, breathing hard. He started to refurl.

She reaffixed her eyes to her lover. The closing wings. _No_. "No! Come here." _Don't go away_.

The Devil sat cross legged, leaving his wings out for the moment and glaring at Dan with a look that could curdle milk.

An idea came to Dan and he ran with it. He reached out and pulled on Lucifer's close wing, grabbing one of the huge outer feathers. Lucifer made a noise of annoyance but allowed it, rocking. Dan dragged the wing to float within reach of Chloe. She didn't move.

Dan silently prayed to 'Dad' he was doing the right thing.

He moved Chloe's weak hand to the feather, closing it around the central shaft with his own. He waited until he felt her fist contract and take hold. Dan started to relax his grip.

The feather slid several inches back from tension under her hand, slicing her finger in a shallow paper cut. She started then closed her hand tight, stopping the slip. The searing flash of pain brought some brain function back.

Someone next to her hissed in his breath.

Chloe's sky blue eyes shifted to her hand grasping the single, giant, quill. It reminded her of a swan feather, stiff with flexible vanes. As she watched her fist, the barbs separated in wide spans just like any other feather she played with as a child, sticking together in hooked clumps. They were ribbed and silky. Hesitantly, she willed her other hand to join the first. It didn't work the first time. Awareness came that her heart pounded. In her chest and head. The second try, she got both hands on the single feather.

Slowly, she followed the shaft, climbing her hands up to the point it embedded in solid flesh. The base where It anchored was larger around than a standard Sharpie. The paler, pebbled skin between feather shafts reminded her of a raw chicken wing. Chloe stifled an insane giggle.

The sound of time started to drift back where it belonged, a droning buzz that stopped echoing with her pulse.

She unclenched one fist from the first shaft and walked it to the next, now holding two at once. She let go of the original one that Dan placed in her hand and took the next in line, crossing her wrists over one another. She wasn't aware she'd risen to her knees, but she must have done so because she wasn't where she started.

Chloe continued walking her grasp on wide feathers, catching and releasing, until she ran out of new things to grab. The next movement left her hand finding his warm familiar skin, breathing hard under expanding ribs. Heat poured off him like a furnace.

She sat back down on her knees, both her hands framing Lucifer's hips, resting on silk and flesh. Her bare knees stopped against his crossed shins. His heat came from all directions. Her fingers on him flexed in recognition by touch. Territory she knew, and knew well. Unbidden, a smile twitched across her lips, mind wandering briefly to things below her hands, then faded again, unsure. She passed her hands over his stomach.

Gradually, her eyes followed the lines of muscle and skin and body up to his neck and finally his face. His soft, worried dark eyes filled her soul and touched every part of it. His breath smelled of cumin and a little cilantro. Her hands rested over his heart, beating fast like hers.

Everything about him remained Lucifer, save the wings. Those were pretty important though.

"Chloe?" Lucifer cupped her face. "Detective?"

She frowned, eyes shifting back and forth on his face. "You said you're the Devil." There was something. Something. It wasn't right.

"Yes."

She slid her hands back down his smooth front, down his defined abs, sweeping apart and finding her thumbs resting on his silk pants and her palms settled on his hips. Several of her fingers slid under the loose band without meaning to. Her eyes left his face to look down his body, cocking her head. She felt Lucifer tighten. She heard Dan shift and take in a quick breath. What did they-? Oh. Hah.

"Why do you have a belly button?"

Dan was somewhere behind her. She heard him attempt to sniff back a chuckle. He wasn't successful.

Of anything Lucifer expected her to ask, that wasn't it. "I beg your pardon?" Over her head he added, "If she's broken, I'm blaming you." His voice was dangerous.

Chloe's feet were dead. She couldn't feel them. "You're the Devil."

His face fell, eyes darting over her head. "Again, yes."

"Were you born?"

Relief flashed over his features. "Not like-oh, I see. My Dad made form was supposed to be that of a pre-human. A template, if you will. I imagine there's no reason for me to have organs either, but I do,"

A hand walked back up his chest. "You have a heart." Lucifer's ring hand closed over hers, holding it in place. His were so much larger than hers.

"And when you shot me, it pumped divine blood out of my body."

"Oh, my God. I shot you. I shot Satan."

"Please, 'Lucifer'."

"But I shot you!"

"I told you to, remember?"

She pulled her hair back. "You said you wouldn't get hurt. But you bled."

Bleeding. Chloe looked back at the wing she manhandled. A broken line of blood spots lay drying almost to his chest. Her paper cut stopped bleeding before she touched the entire wing.

"Oh, my- I'm so sorry, Lucifer."

"It's fine, love, you can help clean it later, if you want."

"Yeah, of course." She leaned back. "Can I…?"

"Yes."

Her legs were still dead. Crap. She fell over sideways into Dan when she tried to stand. Lucifer's eyes passed over her head again. Dan helped her up, but her legs weren't up to supporting her. Pins and needles started rushing to her toes. He deposited her on the couch behind Lucifer where she keep touching the wings and let blood back into her legs.

Chloe buried her fingers into either wing at the junction of his shoulders. Lucifer groaned.

"Sorry?"

"No, that's, uhm, a bit of an erogenous zone."

"Oh." She retracted a little, exploring the top support structure instead.

Dan returned with a bowl and washcloth.

"Hey, Dan, come here."

He leaned in towards his ex. "Yeah?"

She punched him hard in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

Lucifer smirked, she was sure.

Dan grumbled and sat in front of Lucifer. "What was that for?"

"How long have you known?"

"Not long." He wrang out the cloth and tried to figure out how to clean an angel wing. Watching Lucifer for reactions, he pinched the tip of a feather and held it while scrubbing carefully. Lucifer closed his eyes and made a noise.

Chloe let go again. "You okay?"

Lucifer straightened again. "Yes. Maintenance by someone else is nice."

"Oh!" She tried to find the chicken skin again. "So, not an alien?"

"Hmmm? No. Still me."

Chloe glanced at Dan over the wing arch. He shifted his seat, moving down the wing to the next feather. She thought about the blood. The gunshot. Gunshots.

"The first case we were on together, you were shot in the back. I wasn't sure then, but you were, right?"

"Correct."

"But you weren't hurt? Until I shot you?" She wiggles her toes. She caught Dan staring openly at her and it took her a second to realize her robe had fallen open from leaning over Lucifer. She blushed and started to re-tie it. Then she thought of what Maze said downstairs. She blew her breath out. Dan's eyes finally flicked up to her face and then he blushed and went back to scrubbing.

 _Maze. Shit_.

"Also correct. When you're close by, I can be hurt."

Dan jumped. Apparently he didn't know about that.

She stroked the backs of the wings again. She started to figure out how they should lay. "How long was I unaware? My legs hurt like hell." She winced. "No pun intended."

She was Lucifer's head turn to look at Dan "An hour or two?"

"That's about right. Lucifer almost murdered me."

"The night is young, Detective."

Dan swallowed and kept scrubbing.

Chloe touched black curls. "Can you be hurt right now? With me here?"

"Technically, Yes. If one of you shot me right now, I'd probably die."

Chloe started to get up. "I shouldn't be around you!"

He reached up and grabbed her hand. "Chloe, I've known about this since you shot me. Well, a little after, but for a while now. I have no intention of letting a little mortality come between us."

She squeezed his hand in return. "I mean, could you technically be, I don't know, aging right now? Even when I'm not shooting you, am I still killing you?"

"Haven't thought about it that hard, to be honest. I guess I'll find out if any grey hairs show up. Oh, that'd be interesting."

Chloe did get up this time. She came around and stood in front of him. "Oh, Detective, are-"

"When were you going to tell me?"

He stopped. Dan put down the cloth. Trying to turn invisible.

"Were you planning on letting me get old and, and, die of old age while you didn't? Or in ten years when I'm one step closer to retirement and Trixie is wondering why you aren't?"

"Of course not."

"Do you even have a plan?"

Lucifer clamped his jaw.

"Okay, then."

Chloe walked away.

* * *

Dan knocked on the side of Lucifer's bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

Chloe curled up in a ball against the headboard, clutching several pillows. She wiped her face. "No."

"Well, good thing there's no doors in this place." He sat on the edge of the bed.

An icy glare found him.

"Hey, let me talk then, okay?"

 _Glare_.

"He's still Lucifer. He's never been good at plans."

She didn't move. "Chlo', it's not like you didn't know that about him for years. Even if he wasn't who he says he is, this argument would have happened sooner later."

Glaaaaaaare.

"Or thinking things through, I agree." He sighed. "You wanted more information. You've got it."

She squinted.

"Yeah, I didn't expect him to be actually telling the truth either." Dan shrugged uncomfortably "No one expects anyone to be the literal Devil. But now you know he doesn't lie. For real."

Her eyes shifted out the door.

"I told him I'd talk to you first. You seemed like you didn't want to talk to him right now."

The squint intensified.

"You know he loves you right? He's not playing weird, I don't know, otherworldly practical jokes on you."

Her eyes widened.

"He just doesn't know it's love. He's never been in love before in his life."

She breathed out.

"I know because he looks at you...the way I used to."

Chloe hit him with one of her pillows. "This is a hell of a load of bricks to drop on a girl."

"It felt like you were going to leave and never come back." He licked his lips. "And I've been there for that too."

Her nose flared. She looked out the door. Lucifer wasn't visible. She hugged herself and wiped her face again. "We're in a relationship with the literal Devil. How does that work in the afterlife I didn't believe in?"

"I don't know about you but I'm really hoping 'sex outside of marriage' isn't a damnable sin."

Chloe felt a ghost of a smile creep into her face. She held out a hand. Dan took it lightly, rubbing her knuckles. It was damp from wiping her face. She scooted closer and hugged him. "Thanks."

She always gave good hugs.

"Who else is in this circle of damnation?"

"Just his therapist. And no, I have no idea how that went down."

Her mouth dropped. "Linda? Oh, I need to text her, soon."

"You know Linda?"

"She's part of the girl tribe. We get drinks every so often with Ella and...Maze."

"Yeah, try to put that one off a little bit."

Chloe let go of Dan, keeping her pillow. "Any chance he's a random angel with a trickster complex?"

Dan considered. "Is that any better?"

"Than Satan? Yes."

Lucifer, wings away, approached the doorway. "Speak of the me. May I come in? It sounds like a therapy session in here."

She unclutched a little, patting the bed on her other side. "Don't get any ideas."

"I'm nothing if not chock full of ideas." Walking to the far side of the bed, Lucifer flopped down, resting his head on the pillow in her lap.

"You have more pillows."

"And yet none of them are better placed strategically."

"Where do they go? The wings?"

"Sort of fleshy pockets, for lack of a better description."

"Like a, uhm, kangaroo?"

"They're sealed when not open, so not quite. The wings shrink to fit."

"So before when you said you cut them off?"

"Oh, I did. Well, Maze did. They came back recently. Still not sure why." He wiggled on the pillow, leaning up against Chloe's breasts.

She threw her hands up. "Really?"

"All I've got is my charm and my Devilness. The latter doesn't seem to popular right now. Also, I'm a big fan of your various parts."

Looking down at him now, it was easier for her to imagine him as the same Lucifer she's known for all this time. He could have sold the club and moved to another city when he discovered this 'mortality' issue, but he didn't.

She stroked his unmade hair. Did he look any older in the last year? Even now he didn't look concerned about her new knowledge. Has he always been unconcerned about 'everything'? For, God, actual eternity.

Probably.

"God is your actual father? Does God have a name?"

He looked up, turned his head. "Yes, but I'm not allowed to tell you."

Chloe swatted him. "Well, what use are you then?"

"Detective, I believe you know exactly how much use I am."

Dan shifted on the bed. "You guys seem like you're functional again. I should probably head out."

Chloe bit her lip, taking his hand. A million things whirling around. "Stay."


	12. Hot Pockets

Dan froze, half off the bed. "You sure?" her grip was clammy.

"Sort of? My brain is buzzing too hard right now for anything other than company, but if it's okay with Lucifer, I'd like to you stay." She met Dan's eyes. God this is going to be weird for a while. Actual Lucifer. Just like he said all this time.

At least she was thinking hard about the continuation of a future together, whatever insanity that might mean. Is truth enough? Is love? In light of this -no pun intended- revelation? Dan might even be right. And that's terrifying in a way that has nothing to do with Lucifer's immortal status. He really hasn't been in love before.

When she thought about dating an eccentric, well, human, she thought he'd had some kind of previous dating history. He had charm in spades, there's no way he hadn't had a high school sweetheart, or three.

Lord. How awkward would it be if they broke up eventually? Dating profile history: previous serious relationship with actual Devil. Religious beliefs: recently embraced Satanism. Often.

Chloe rolled her eyes at herself.

Hell, if we stay together and this works, the wedding won't be in a church, will it? She mentally shook her head. It was too far off to think about right now. Scattering wits ran rampant and it was going to take a good shepherd to round them up. Heh. Shepherd.

Lucifer rested comfortably against her, eyes low. His head rose and fell with her breathing, looking for all the world like he could be happy here forever. Briefly, she wondered if beds and furniture existed in hell and heaven.

"Is it because of the whole-?" Dan made an unfortunate flapping motion with his hands. Lucifer shot him a dirty look.

What did she say? Chloe breathed out. "Yes, and no. I may not even sleep tonight. I'd like someone else here too, and I'd like it to be you." Especially with your recent experience.

Lucifer stayed snuggled up against her chest, his messy hair tickling between her breasts where the robe fell open. He grinned up at her. "Plus, there's all day tomorrow."

She blinked and pitched her voice to the corner of the room. "Alexa, what time is it?"

An electronic voice wavered back. "The time is 2:14 a.m."

"Well, good thing the sitter is paid up."

Settling back on the edge of the bed, Dan peered into the corner with the fading blue light. "When did you get one of those?"

Grinning from his comfy layered flesh and fabric pillow, Lucifer hooked a thumb in the general direction of his laptop. "Amazon is literally the greatest thing since the invention of printing books. Well, that or internet. For as long as I can stay here on earth, I'm acquiring every last battery and electrically powered toy that catches my fancy. Alexa is just the latest."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"That said, I'm going to change her name shortly. Or just move her out of the bedroom."

Chloe snickered and carded her fingers through his black hair. He really wasn't any different now, was he? Her own blonde waves intermingled around his face, a few golden strands caught against his facial scruff. His dark eyes were the same she's always known. What would happen if he suddenly had to leave? Is all this worth the potential pain? "How long are you here...on earth...for?"

"I retired, remember?"

"Can you actually do that though? Wasn't…uhm…your dad pissed off about it? Can't God just put you back there?"

"He hasn't yet. Even when I was expelled from heaven, Michael was one who got his hands dirty, not Dad. Every other time I only took a holiday, Amenadiel nearly always got appointed as the one to drag me back."

Dan unlatched his belt. "I guess that resolves the bet we had over how he's your brother. Is that why he's here now?"

"Not exactly. Not anymore. Amenadiel lost his wings. Possibly from failing to bring me back, maybe from having demon sex with Maze. Could be something else he screwed up and didn't let me in on. We don't talk more than we have to. Not exactly on the best terms with the fam in general."

Chloe eyed Dan. "What are you doing?"

He slipped his jeans and shirt off. "Sleeping, if I can. I might as well join the pajama party."

"Chloe may not be up for anything, but I'm not promising to keep my hands to myself." The Devil leered at Dan from his reclining position.

Dan almost tripped. "Are you ever not horny or is it just part of the package?" He stuffed his clothes on a shelf. He did not want to be fussed at again for leaving anything on the floor.

"I never wait for inspiration to knock when it's right in front of me."

Chloe snorted. She certainly wasn't going to argue with the view. Either of them. And Dan walked right into that one.

Dan stretched out on the free side, parallel to Lucifer. He didn't seem to mind all that much being within grabbing distance of the Devil. His black boxer-briefs blended in with the bedcovers. He retrieved his phone, like the whole thing is normal now. Hi, I'm Dan, and I'm checking my texts and email while in bed with both my ex and actual Satan.

Chloe licked her lips. God. There's no way she's sleeping tonight. She's also going to have to seriously reconsider the whole 'taking God's name in vain' thing. Since that's apparently real.

She wrenched her train of thought to the previous topic. "So, Maze and Amenadiel shacked up? How did the universe not implode?"

He tilted his head back to look at her. "Well, it did, for him."

The world was a stranger place. Even angels can give into temptation and be punished for it, like any other mortal. She searched his face. "Can he get them back? Like you?"

"He'd have to redeem himself, but he's fully human now, as near as we can tell. As far as I know I didn't do anything at all to have these things forced on me."

He doesn't want them? Well, he did amputate them. She twitched.

"So, all the human rules apply to him too now? He could theoretically die of natural causes and be sent to hell?"

Lucifer shifted. "I suppose so."

"What does 'losing his wings' mean? His wings were taken? Or cut off like yours?"

"He never told me exactly but he made it sound like it took a few weeks to completely lose them. He might still have the 'fleshy pockets', but empty, like mine were under the scars."

"That was why you asked me to take my shirt off all that time ago? You can see the...wing holders?"

Face lit by his phone, Dan glanced over. "How's that?"

She leaned over him to wrap her arms across Lucifer's chest. He was so warm. "Lucifer thought I was a secret angel at some point. And no, it wasn't a come on, that time."

He squeezed her wrists.

She kissed his forehead. "Hey, show me what you were looking for."

"But this position is so much better."

"C'mon, I want to be able to identify secret angels too. Show me."

"Fine." He sat up, back to her, crossing his legs, black silk on black satin. She swore he allowed a whine creep into his agreement.

Chloe reached up, touching his muscled back with light fingers. "Where?" She tried to remember where the scars had been. Not too close to his spine, but not fully over his shoulder blades either.

The more this whole thing became practical, the more her brain settled down. Less magical. It didn't do much to make him less of an alien though.

Lucifer directed her. "Down, apart, there-ish."

Dan put his phone aside and reached over. "Here?" Curious himself, he sat up to get in on the petting exercise. "Is that why you stopped me last night? I might have found them?"

Chloe looked sideways at Dan. "You didn't know about these things last night?"

Dan shrugged uncomfortably. "More like, uhm, 24 hours ago? Ish?"

"That's why you've been acting like a freak all day? That's the thing you saw by accident?"

He shrugged again. "What else could I do? I don't have a poker face, at all."

The skin under her fingers twitched. Lucifer added, "and, for the record, he was terribly upset I hadn't shown you. Now, if you're going to continue prodding me with your cold fingers, can we get on with it?"

Dan smirked.

"Cold? She poked him harder than she probably needed to. "Is this it? Like flat mushy bean bags?"

Lucifer twitched again. "Be careful! I'm sure you don't want to be sent flying off the bed. And no part of me is 'mushy.'"

Chloe traced in circles, attempting to be a little gentler. "Hmmm. Hey, hold still. Dan, sit with your back to me."

Dan did so, feeling a little weird. Chloe touched his 'mortal' back muscles. He and they were like she remembered, tanned and tight. She had a flash from years before, a tired, late work night when a reluctantly volunteered massage turned into something else. She flushed, reminding herself she wasn't even in sleep clothing yet, only a robe.

Concentrate Chloe. This is for science. Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

Dan twisted to look at her. "I assure you, I am not a secret angel. Also, yeah, your hands are cold." He considered. "Does Maze have wings?"

"Hush, I'm feeling for differences."

Lucifer was grumbling about cold, callous hands. She rubbed her thumb down one side. "Okay, yeah. I guess the feather shafts feel like, porcupine quills, kinda, but smaller. The mush must be compressed feathers. How do you not ruin your designer clothing? Do you have to strip first?"

Dan half-turned. She smacked him. "You stay still too." She rubbed on Dan's left shoulder and compared it to Lucifer's. "Yeah, okay. It's kind of a crescent moon shape?"

Lucifer groaned. "You're both terrible at massage. And no, the wings pass through human-made material."

"Your Dad gave you wings that don't destroy your clothes but they still have to be physically part of you?"

"Honestly, this sounds more like a conversation you should have with Ella."

She stopped. "Ella wasn't named as one of the ones who know."

"She doesn't. But she is the scientist. She'd probably clip my feathers just to look at them under a microscope."

"She'd probably clip as many samples off you as you'd let her take. Can you fly?"

"I don't do it much. I prefer not to have them out at all."

"Can I see it sometime? You flying?

Lucifer grumbled. "If I'd known this was going to be fifty question night, I would have gotten this over with earlier."

Dan turned in place. "Hey, I want to try."

Lucifer shifted but didn't get up. "Am I a guinea pig all night too then?"

Chloe stretched her legs, scooting to switch places with Dan. He followed the movement of her thighs. "You're the one that almost made me shit myself. I think you can put up with this for a little while."

Dan moved, sitting crossed-legged behind Lucifer. "Where?"

Chloe moved his hand by the wrist. "Over here, and here, I think."

"Doesn't look like much to me, but I can feel something, I think." He tried both hands at once and felt Lucifer's back relax in response.

"Mmmmmm. That's actually nice. Less poking. And not icicles."

Chloe made a face. "Hey!"

Encouraged, Dan dug his thumbs along either side of Lucifer's spine, tracing lines of hard muscle. The heat of his body soaked into his hands pleasantly. "Well, I haven't touched many other men-"

"Obviously."

"Okay, if I'm honest, any other men. Half-naked massages aren't exactly all the rage at the precinct. And no, I really don't want to hear about if that became less true since you showed up, Lucifer."

Dan smirked over his shoulder at Chloe. "Do I get to check you too?"

She poked her tongue into her cheek.

Sensing a chance at poking revenge, Lucifer half-turned to her. "It's only fair, Detective."

She pointed at them. "I'm not getting naked." She backed up to Dan. "No peeking." Blushing a little, she let the back of her robe fall off her shoulders.

Dan swallowed. He repeated Chloe's process, trying not to think too hard about his ex-wife's lovely back. Apparently he has a thing for back muscles, in general.

Lucifer, of course, blatantly 'peeked'. Not that she minded him doing it.

Her back was paler, much less muscular than Lucifer's, but that was a given. Fewer layers of flesh were between bones and skin. Wing pockets on her would have been pronounced, probably.

She turned to watch Dan's hands again.

Dan spread out his fingers, palming either side over Lucifer's shoulder blades. His nails were short, but an edge scratched along one side, leaving a faint white line, and maybe an outline.

Chloe leaned in, drawing her robe up. "Do that again."

"What are you looking for? Oh!" Dan used firm pressure, dragging his fingernails down Lucifer's back, and the muscles reacted. They could see slight quivering under the skin where the wings lived. "That looks kind of freaky."

He left behind white pressure lines that filled in with rapid blood flow, but he could see defined outlines of the hidden wing arch as a white and red phantoms in his skin.

Lucifer drew in his breath, slightly strangled. "Daniel, if you aren't currently trying to get in my pants tonight, you should stop doing that."

Dan bit his lip and glanced at Chloe, who watched him. He let up pressure. "Uhm. No offense, but you didn't like it that much last time I touched you." Dan dropped his hands lower, walking his fingers down Lucifer away from the wing enclosures, and thumbing circles along his mid-back.

He still sounded strained, but less so. "Chloe wasn't here."

Chloe blinked. "The mortality thing? Lucifer. Are you telling me that's why the sex we have is crazy good? Because I make you mortal?"

"I assure you, our interlocking parts would still be singing to the heavens without that vulnerability bit. But, well."

She moved around to face him, legs crossed under her, knee to knee with him. "Go on."

"Let's just say I very much hope you're interested in trying restraints or serious spanking at some point. On me, of course."

She kissed him and drew back. "What we did wasn't serious?"

"Oh, darling, no. But you're quite adorable for thinking so."

Dan didn't ask, but he really wanted to. He ghosted his hands back up from the hips, skimming the shoulders to work into Lucifer's neck. Chloe caught the red reflective flash in his eyes when Dan's fingers walked over his wing spots, knowing what it was, now. She felt herself warming with the knowledge.

Resting her hands on his knees, she slid them up his long legs and leaned in. Her heart pounded in her ears. "Sooooo, you haven't had sex with another man with me nearby? It could be like losing a whole different kind of virginity?"

Dan's eyebrows went up behind Lucifer.

Half an hour ago, she wasn't up for sex. Especially for the third time in a waking period.

Watching Dan's hands on Lucifer's neck did something to her throat. Watching Lucifer's face in response to the massage did something to her nether regions. Dan took his cue, passing through black hair and returning to his shoulders. He kept the pressure light, sliding his fingers down each side and not using his nails.

Lucifer managed to make a less-stricken face, in between heavier breaths. "I told you, virginity isn't that big of a deal." He slid his hands up her forearms inside the sleeves of her robe. "Of course, I'm happy to participate in any experiments you might propose."

Chloe squeezed his thighs through his thin silk pants, cocking her head. "Did you know this aspect of the vulnerability thing might happen when I asked about inviting someone?"

"Honestly, hadn't thought about it that hard. And speaking of hard, I'm about to have my way with Dan."

Dan paused, asking with his eyes if this is what she wanted. Did she?

Lucifer's sleep pants had indeed tented. Well. Her vag may not be up for another visitation just yet, but there were other things she could do. She leaned up. Seated, he still had several inches on her. His warm bare feet nestled against hers. He had to tilt down to meet her lips.

Dan slid his hands down and back up Lucifer's arms, raising hairs.

She reached across him to snag one of her elastic hair ties off the nightstand, pulling back her untamed waves into a messy bun. Dan blinked. He knew that signal.

So did Lucifer. "Detective?"

"Pants off. Again."

Dan gamely dragged his trim nails down Lucifer's back a second time. The black silk tent twitched hard and his hips bucked against air.

Lucifer groaned achingly and managed to fold his legs together, lifting his hips enough for Chloe to get him stripped and exposed. "Oh, this is just unfair." He managed make himself sound both put out and turned on at the same time.

"Oh?"

Lucifer wasn't the only one here who could tease. She got comfortable, folding her feet under her knees, still wearing the robe because there were still a few things she wasn't quite ready for, maybe. Namely, Dan seeing her bare to the world after, well, being divorced for over a year. Baby steps.

"Well, for one thing, I'm the only one naked." He bucked at air again. "And my bed companions are dragging their feet."

"Well, he has a point." Risking the wrath of Chloe, Dan snaked a hand around to grasp and stroke Lucifer a few times before she got started.

Lucifer leaned back against Dan with a wavering sigh, allowing better access to himself. He half leaned, half propped himself up on his hands, requiring him to keep them out of the action.

Her breath stopped. She stalled, having to admit to herself the visual was hot. They both had large, strong hands. Lucifer with his shit-eating grin, bracing himself against the surface of the covers, hands close to Dan's crossed feet. A tanned fist gripped her lover in long, slow strokes. Thickened skin pulled under his fingers angled away from her.

"Chloe, you're not going to let him have my deliciousness all to himself, are you?"

God. "You know, when we started having sex, I thought you'd talk less, at least in bed."

"You know what they say about assuming."

For a moment, she let Dan have him. This could be fun.

She leaned back, wearing her best Lucifer-eque parody grin. Dan caught her look, smirked.

"Well, Detective? Are you going to torment yourself by not joining in?"

"I don't think I'm the one being tormented."

One of her hands wandered into her robe, Lucifer's gaze following it. She slid forward, working up saliva, licking her lips. Flicking aside the fabric, she found herself wet. "In fact, I think you deserve a little tormenting." Suddenly happy she kept them on this whole time, she touched herself below her undergarments. Lucifer's (and, gratifyingly, Dan's) eyes riveted to her hands.

Oh, this is fun.

Scooting closer on her knees, her other hand played with the belt tie. Deliberately, her busy fingers dipped further. She rocked her hand, catching the motion of the silk covering out of the corner of her eye. Dan's grip became slightly erratic. "Mmmmm. This isn't so bad, all by myself."

Lucifer jerked. Dan transferred his grip to Lucifer's wrists, holding him in place. Chest to his back, he breathed into the Devil's ear. "I think the 'Detective' doesn't want to share just yet."

Lucifer whined.

She smiled wickedly. "Lucifer, Stay."

Dan didn't get the reference, be he knew a line when he heard one. He let go of Lucifer's wrists, and returned to one-handedly stroking his very hard cock.

She untied her robe, letting it fall open, but not removing it. It was just enough to let an inch wide slit open down the front. Letting her wrist where it went into her matching black panties be visible, and the rocking motion. Letting her little finger escape its confines.

She pulled her hand out, fingers glistening. Watching his darkening eyes, she dropped saliva in the same hand, hovering over Lucifer's hips. Dan was breathing hard too.

She teased with the back of her hand against the tip of him. Lips approaching his. He didn't move an inch, tense.

"Good Devil." She turned her hand over, depositing the contents on his tip between hand strokes. Dan worked it into the rhythm, reducing friction. Lucifer hissed in his breath, groaning under them, finally capturing her mouth for a deep kiss.

Dan looked a little strangled himself.

Satisfied, she got down flat on her belly and tasted the very base of him, sucking down the skin in his short curls as far under as she could reach with her mouth and tongue.

She teased a few wet fingers under Lucifer's hips, against his taint. He arched against her.

Finally, she growled, smacking Dan's hand away. "Mine." Adjusting her body and hands between his opened legs, she put her mouth on him, curling fingers tightly around him below her lips.

Lucifer made an inarticulate noise. It was sexy as hell.

Dan smirked, returning both hands to Lucifer's back, wishing he'd shucked his underwear already and his dick getting uncomfortably constrained. Having any amount of Chloe's smell on his right hand turned instantly distracting. What would Lucifer do?

He'd deal with the distraction.

Dan fed his fingers to Lucifer, which he eagerly sucked up with a moan. The mouth on his fingers doing nothing ease his own problem.

Chloe added her own inarticulate sound to the mix.

A wing casin shivered again under his left hand. Dan got a new idea. He retrieved his other hand, regretfully, and dragged his fingernails along the middle of each wing pocket, biting the back of Lucifer's neck.

Lucifer panted. "What did I say about getting thrown off the bed?"

Chloe tilted her face. Dan sucking Lucifer's neck was heady. She could well guess where his hands went to. She pulled her lips up, taking a breath. Her blue went to his dark, poised over him, licking her lips. "You can let go."

Lucifer held them in for another second, straining. Then let his wings out with displaced air and the sound of a flapping sheet, springing in soft, white feathery falls to either side of the bed. It wasn't like the first time, hours ago, violently snapping and surprised. He sank further against Dan before locking his wrists in place behind him.

Chloe jumped, expecting it but also not, Like a toaster, she thought uncontrollably. It was going to take time to get used to that sort of thing. She liked the idea of trying to get used to that sort of thing. The lizard part of her brain took satisfaction in watching Dan be startled too. When she moved, the sleeve of the robe pinched under Lucifer and she grumbled, then bent her head and took him again, circling him with her tongue.

With wings out, she'd swear his cock went up in temperature a couple of degrees.

Dan adjusted his hands, putting Chloe's earlier obtained knowledge to good use. He stroked the base of the wings where they met hot skin, working his fingers into the paired joints. Getting down to the skin and muscle, he rubbed through feathers in widening opposite circles at the lower edge. He forgot to even look at Chloe. Silently praying he wouldn't get decapitated for it, he mouthed Lucifer's neck again, on edge of his jaw scruff. It was a stretch that pressed his hands between chest and wings.

Lucifer gasped. "Definitely...not...fair…"

Chloe painted him with a wide wet tongue. "Then you better make up for it later." She hollowed her cheeks and pulled at him in her mouth, sucking all the way to his apex. Dan, peeking over, noted she didn't have much of a gag reflex.

The slippery silk robe didn't want to stay put. Fuck it. She sat up, shrugged out of the sleeves and tossed the robe. She wasn't trying for a sexy show, but Lucifer looked devastated. In every good way possible. She noted Dan froze too, eyes locking on her body. Her lizard brain was singing.

She walked forward on her knees, bringing his legs together and resting her pelvis with him just outside of her, against her underwear. He twitched against her, bucking. She had eyes only for his, never once flicking away to the wings.

Dan swallowed and went back to applying attention to Lucifer and trying desperately not to stare at her. He helpfully shifted his seat back against the headboard to leave space for Chloe's knees, opening up some room between himself and Lucifer.

Her eyes found unfocused dark ones. "Are you okay?"

They claimed her face. He was barely holding on. "Very."

Chloe lifted her hips in a practiced move she'd done a hundred times before on him. He watched like it was the first time she rode him. It wasn't even the first time today.

She climbed on him, pulling aside the middle panel of her panties, spreading herself and wetly kissing him.

God, she was going to be sore tomorrow.

With any luck, so would he.

Lucifer moaned out of time with her hips. Chloe checked on Dan. He had grabbed the edge of the wings in a death grip. She glanced at Lucifer's face then made a silent motion to ease up, making combing gestures.

Abashed, Dan got the message and worked his fingers into the back of either wing like it was long, strange hair.

The response was immediate. Lucifer rocked hard against her, unable to grab her hips because of the angle and slippery satin he braced himself on.

She liked it.

Chloe clenched on him as she rocked, closing her eyes and taking in the sounds of his feathers rustling, of Lucifer's heavy breathing rolling under her, Dan making obscene noises on Lucifer's throat in counterpoint. And enjoying it.

She opened her eyes again, rolling herself up and almost off him, holding in the up position for just a moment. Longer.

Lucifer blinked on her. She smiled.

She rocked down on him and he released with throaty noises and hard, hard contractions, filling her.

Lucifer became a deadweight, making Dan quickly scramble out from under him. He carefully slipped off the bed, as the surface area got taken up by swaths of limp wings.

Chloe somewhat awkwardly dismounted, scooting backwards as to not crush feathers. Lucifer reached up and tugged her down to his side, defeating her caution. She smiled, snuggling into his side and wrapping and arm over his waist. Lucifer raggedly leaned out, grabbing Dan's wrist. There was very little power left behind it.

Dan poised on the edge of the mattress. Chloe might have feather crushing privileges, but that didn't mean he did. Lucifer rolled his eyes, still breathing heavily, tugged again. Dan stretched out, him and Chloe curled into opposite wing arches.

"For the record, I'm going to get my revenge on your both. And I keep my word."

Dan, carefully, leaned up. "Okay, Satan." and kissed him on the cheek, collapsing again.

"Daddammit."


	13. Trixie Decker: Demon Whisperer

Lucifer woke up in a unique position, for him. The black bed, the sheets, the pillows were all familiar. Even having company was par for the course, though up until the last few months, company didn't stay the night that often.

Sunrise lit the curves of hips, shoulders and wings. The latter of which sank under the weight of their contents. And both of his wings were currently asleep, which was also new, and less fun. In the night, Chloe tugged the sheet over herself, stealing the whole thing. Cocooned in black satin, she had one arm through the wider wing feathers. Her other hand above the wing reflexively clutched a few shorter fluffy shafts. Soft white feathers poking out around her shadowed face wafted with her breath.

Relaxed in sleep, he could watch her like this forever. Knowing now, but cuddled up against him anyway. Lucifer wasn't holding out hope she'd stay, even still. He doubted she was done processing things humans aren't readily built to. _Good job on that one, Dad. 'Worship me, silly makings of mine, but I'll make sure you lose your shit if you see actual divinity.'_

Sigh. _I wonder if Mum is doing any better in her new home. I hope she made her own new universe, met a nice new God. Having lots of brand new Godling children flapping around._

Producing his own sleep-heat, Dan stretched out in opposition to Chloe's fetal position. Leaner than Lucifer, his physical weight was a draw between feathers versus muscle build, counting pound for pound.

He began to admit to himself Dan made a half-decent choice as a bed partner. A year ago, Dan had proven himself as disposable, gracefully exiting the failing marriage when required. He wasn't needy or clingy. Post-wing deflowering, he proved more resilient than expected. Not to mention being a bit of a pain in the arse. Lucifer planned to hold last night over Dan's head for a long, long time to come. Leverage for basically eternity was a hell of a bargaining chip, should he need it.

 _Thank Dad she didn't request Cain_. Not that Cain wouldn't have his own advantages, but there was no need to delve into that can of worms. He shivered.

What was the human expression? _Someone walked over my grave._

Speaking of dead. At some point while sleeping, Chloe and Dan shifted to rest on the wing bones. Their mortal brains possibly interpreted his feathered appendages as pillows. The wing under Chloe's slighter weight might be less dead to the world than Dan's. So now he was lopsided.

Dammit. _I'm a Devil, not a bed set._

 _Well, it's my own damn fault, I suppose._

Rolling his shoulders, he could feel where the numbness started. The pins and needles were going to be an absolute bitch when he finally got up. _HashtagOldWorldProblems._

Sigh.

On the bright side, he could almost pretend they were gone again. Either wing ended under their skulls, dead to touch. _I wonder if the damn things would lose circulation without the Detective?_

Time to make decisions. Empty the bed and confront the imminent blood flow issue head on or put it off as long as possible? Along his upper back, he could feel any number of unaligned shafts, making grooming a priority. Still...

Chloe's face and curled body turned toward him made a lovely sight to wake up to. Unfortunately, the ever-running metabolism of said body meant they'd have to move sooner rather than later. He kissed her forehead. His nose twitched.

 _Human morning breath._ The things he puts up with.

Dan shifted, blinking in the sun streaming through transparent windows and throwing a toned arm over his face. "Why is there light?"

Cat stretching, Lucifer rested his arms behind his head. "Welcome back to the living. I argued the day should have been 28 hours instead of 24. Not my call."

Dan twitched his fingers open, Lucifer's face appearing between them. "Really?" He woke up a little more when he remembered on whose bed he slept. His angelic partner long and naked in the middle of the mattress, all of his visible skin lit up by sunrise, making him practically glow.. Dan swallowed. To top everything off, no pun intended, Lucifer had morning wood.

The Devil propped up one leg, as if he was completely unaware of his outline. "A nine hour sleep cycle would be so much better than eight, don't you think?"

He groaned. "I am not going to get used to this."

"I should hope not. Human slash angel relations aren't exactly common, in the scheme of things."

"Do angels...uhm…?

"What?"

"Have relations…?"

Lucifer raised his eyebrow. "Amenadiel is my older _brother_ , Dan."

"Oh, all the same uh- Parents?"

"You did attend Sunday school, yes?"

"Yeah, they didn't mention your mother. So there's a few gaps."

Chloe half woke, mumbling. "Don't wanna go to church. The kids are mean to me."

"See what you did, Dan?" He patted her head, smoothing down her hair. "New subject. My wings are completely numb, but the rest of me is awake. Anyone up for a morning five o'clock shadow ride?"

Chloe rolled over. "Too early."

Dan tried not to just stare at Lucifer. He really did. "How would that even work?"

"You hop your nice, firm ass in the shower, come back and I lather you with my tongue. You yourself of course, feeling free to do whatever you want to myself. Ideally, Chloe provides an assist, but we can manage." He rocked his hips, proving he was well acquainted with his 'alert' state.

"My...ass?"

Chloe half turned back over, then pulled the sheet over her head to make a complete cocoon.

Dan's face went blank at he processed the description. "I don't know if that's even-" His instincts pinged at him, drawing his attention. He sat up quickly, looking out the bedroom door.

Hissing, Lucifer jerked, good mood dampening. "Easy on the merchandise, Detective Douche!"

He moved to get up, chastised and avoiding pulling anything else. "Sorry, I thought I heard something."

The elevator must have pinged, as Maze appeared in the doorway, smirking. "Guess I was wrong about Decker." Her eyes came to a rest on Dan still wearing boxer briefs. "Or not."

Lucifer grumbled. "What are you doing up here at this wretched hour? Other than spoiling morning sex?"

The demon gestured behind her. "The sitter left, Dan wasn't answering his phone, and my roomie bitched for a week the last time I left her kid alone at home, so-"

Dan scrambled off the end of the bed. "You brought Trixie here?"

"Duh."

He pulled a crumpled sheet off the floor and threw it at Lucifer. "Trix! Stay wherever you are, okay?"

Maze looked back over her shoulder.

Dan found the shelf he stashed his clothes on. "Hang on! Don't move! Lucifer, put up your wiiii-things!"

Chloe started to get up, pulling back her sheet, her hair in massive disarray. "Hum?" A couple of strands caught on feather barbs, making a spider-web effect against the sunlight.

Hopping into his jeans, Dan shoved past Maze and careened into the living room.

Trixie was nowhere in sight.

Maze burst out laughing, holding her side. "You're all too precious."

Dan scowled. "Where's Trixie?"

"Downstairs. Chloe owes me for getting her breakfast and watching her this morning. I guessed at least one of you would be up here."

Chloe unwrapped herself before remembering she was topless.

Maze grinned. "All kinds of eye candy up here today. And why aren't you moving, Lucifer?"

Chloe threw on one of her longer t-shirts she kept in Lucifer's closet. At Maze's comment, she looked back. "Babe?"

Lucifer groaned, throwing the sheet off. The fabric had unhelpfully fallen across his face and nothing else. "It's Sunday. I'm never up before noon if it can be helped."

Dan came back in, ducking under Maze's elbow with a glare and grabbing his shirt from last night with one hand. "C'mon, let's get the lead out."

Lucifer pulled the sheet back over his head. "How about I just lie here until blood flow returns."

"Do you want me to put pants on you? One of us needs to go get Trixie, who was left alone _in a club._ Before she gets impatient and just rides up herself."

The Devil sighed dramatically and held up a wrist.

Dan wrapped his hand around Lucifer's forearm and leaned back, pulling him up at the waist.

 _Pain_ lanced down his arms and wing joints like fire. He hissed with the motion.

Pale eyes looked over him with concern. "You okay man?"

"Pins and needles in limbs longer than my arms is not my preferred way to start the morning. For some obscene Dad-forsaken reason my triceps hurt." He yanked his arm away from Dan and stretched with a flinch. He ignored his pants on the floor.

Lucifer rolled his shoulders and nothing happened. "Hell."

"What's up?"

"I can't put my wings away."

Chloe ruefully approached. "Can I, uhm, rub them? Would that help?"

Lucifer sighed, but stepped out, sitting on a bar stool, back out and wings twitching. The tips drooped miserably.

Dan threw his pajamas at him. Lucifer winced and missed catching them. "This is ridiculous."

Maze doubled over, cackling. "I had no idea Chloe made you _that_ vulnerable."

Lucifer glared at all of them. "The mortality thing doesn't _weaken_ me, but it apparently does make me susceptible to sore muscles from holding myself up, along with loss of blood circulation."

Chloe's neck tendon spasmed. She picked a wing and started massaging a top set of muscles. He groaned in response, dipping his shoulders for her.

The Demoness looked hopefully up at the ceiling over the bed. "You did what?"

Dan and Chloe chorused as one. "Nothing."

"Okay." Maze stole a beer from the fridge, removing the cap with her teeth. "You seem to be a lot less conflicted this morning, roomie."

She glanced at Maze. Her hands touching his skin, his feathers. "Part of me realizes Lucifer meant it this whole time, that I've 'known' this whole time. The other part hasn't quite meshed it all together. But I'm trying. Don't get me wrong, there's a denial aspect going on in my brain too. So much for Atheism." She sighed. "Thanks for taking care of Trixie, I should have texted you last night. My brain wasn't capable of multi-tasking. Still isn't."

Maze looked pointedly over Lucifer's nudity. Chloe blushed. "I tend to focus on what's in front of me."

Dan fished around in the fridge next.

Lucifer looked even more irritable. "I wasn't aware my kitchen was a public buffet."

Chloe switched wings. "Is that feeling any better?"

He tried to fluff them. They shivered. "Starting to. If either of these things start cramping, I'm taking it out of your hides. In any case, whoever deals with the child, the other needs to stay here and help me groom these infernal things."

The wing Chloe started working on twitched into a half-fold and then went out again with a jerk. "Sure, sorry."

Dan set out plates and grabbed a loaf of bread. He wiped his hands, then abandoned working on breakfast to join Chloe on wing maintenance.

Maze sat at the end of the bar, crossing her arms. "Don't worry, I'll add it to my baby-sitting fee. Or you can knock it off my rent."

Chloe nodded, "Yeah, sure. Just let me know how much."

She picked at the label on the beer. "As long as you're okay sharing your living space with a demon. After all, I don't have big pretty wings."

Dan and Chloe both tried not to stare at her.

Drinking her beer, Maze rolled her eyes. "And considering I eat souls for breakfast."

Lucifer leaned further over the counter, stretching his arms and letting his hands drop off the far side. "You do not."

"Souls and booze. Preferably in that order." She dragged her eyes up and down Dan. "And sometimes, on good mornings, dick."

Dan hid behind the far side of a wing.

Lucifer glared at his demon. "She doesn't have the power to destroy souls."

She tipped her bottle with a slow lick of her full lips. "I gnaw on them a little bit. _Especially_ in hell. Tasty."

"Maze."

"Yeah, _boss?_ Or would you prefer 'King of Hell'?"

He turned on her, nearly sweeping Chloe off her feet. "I left hell!"

She looked him in the eyes. "For now."

A small voice exited the elevator. "Mom?"

Dan swept up Lucifer's pajamas and shoved them in his lap.

Chloe ran across the room. "Monkey? Don't come-"

She peeked out.

Lucifer's wings furled slightly, but rebelled against his will and fluffed out yet again. Dan took a quick step to block a view of the Devil's naked ass.

Panicked, Chloe dashed across the room, scooping up her daughter, swinging her around to face away from the commotion. She wrapped her arms around her girl and caught her daughters dark eyes. "Everything's fine, baby, look at my face, okay?"

Lucifer's eye flashed ruby, but he stepped into pj's and drew them up. He took a breath, relaxing his wings. He gathered them in to the point they were less visible.

Trixie squirmed in her arms like a possessed monkey with its tail on fire. "I wanna see!" She was a blur of hot pink t-shirt, dark leggings and a glitter tutu skirt. Chloe was silently grateful one of the two had the presence of mind to dress her before coming over.

Lucifer scrambled up on the bar. He huffed. "You might as well. I'm not going to be able to get them back in for another five or ten minutes, judging by the tingling pain levels. The first person who asks if I'm sure will be my personal servant for the rest of the day."

Dan opened his mouth then clamped shut again.

Chloe lowered Trixie to the ground, and cupped her face with both hands. "Hey, kiddo. Look at me, okay? Behave, or you're going straight back downstairs and home. You got me?"

Trixie held her face still, her feet shifting. Her hands clenched into fists, resolute. "Okay!" Her eyes were bright and shining. Chloe prayed it wasn't with mania.

"Lucifer has something on him, but do NOT pull on him, okay? This is really important. More important than all the chocolate cake in the world. You can't tell anyone, okay?"

Trixie nodded solemnly, crossing her heart with small fingers and then her lips. Her tiny body vibrating in place. Chloe made a mental note to ask Maze what they had for breakfast.

Taking a very deep, steadying breath, Chloe let go.

Trixie tore across the living room, faster than a spooked rabbit. Lucifer pulled his legs up on the bar counter, sitting cross-legged to get out of her immediate reach. "LUCIFER!"

"Trixie! Inside voice!"

"…lucifer…?"

"…Yes, child?"

She started to climb up on a stool. Dan scooped her up and held her. "Hey, monkey, don't scare him."

Trixie pouted but settled down, a little. "He's not scared."

Chloe and Dan exchanged a look. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

"Duh."

"Trixie!"

"I'm fine, mom." She made huge doe eyes up at Lucifer. "Can I see, please?"

"I am not a zoo."

She bit her lip, much the way her mom did when she thought hard about something. "Please?You're much prettier than a whole zoo! Than all the zoos!"

Lucifer shifted his seat to prop up his knees in front in front of him, resting his wrists over in a loose finger clasp. He watched from his perch warily, resembling an agitated parrot. His feathers fluffed in all directions.

Maze' face streamed with hot tears of laughter, one hand cupped over her mouth to keep herself quiet. She kept Trixie from noticing her for a full five seconds.

The girl's laser focus turned on the Demon. "You made Lucifer upset!" She struggled against her dad.

Maze wiped her face. "Me?"

"Yes! You made him upset and now he won't come down!"

"Hmmpf. Lucifer made me upset first." Maze crossed her arms over a leather-clad bodice.

"You shouldn't yell at each other."

"Why not?"

Trixie rolled her eyes. "Because! Then you can't get not upset! It's impossible to get not upset when you yell."

Maze cocked her head, ponytail dipping. "What if I like being upset?"

Trixie pursed her lips. "Then you need a time-out until you're done being upset."

Lucifer smirked. His wings de-fluffed a little.

Trixie turned and pointed at Lucifer. "And you should come down. That's not where your feet go."

The Devil slid forward on his ass, came down, wings twitching. He started to close them up.

She turned the doe eyes back on. "Can I see your wings? Please?"

He sighed.

Maze went to the elevator. "I'm putting myself in a time-out at the downstairs bar."

Trixie nodded. "Good."

Chloe remembered something. "Did you get your bounty?"

"Not yet, she's a slippery fucker."

Trixie gasped. "Double time-out!"

"You got it, kid."

The elevator shut, and everyone breathed out.

Trixie immediately scampered to Lucifer.

Chloe tugged at her shirt, backing into the bedroom for pants.

Dan sat on the side couch. "Where's the best place to, uhm, clean those?"

"Usually, I get the shower up to steaming and let the pores open. It usually does a passable job at getting the back."

Coincidentally, Trixie touched the same outer feather Chloe sliced her hand on the previous night. She didn't yank it. "Can I help?"

—-

Half an hour, coffee, juice, cupcakes and toast later, the four of them assembled on the balcony in the mid-morning sun. A cooler of hot steamed towels sat nearby.

Trixie was only allowed to watch or risk banishment, for the moment.

Lucifer stretched his wings before settling down, unhappily casting his gaze over them.

The remaining adults started with a towel each. Lucifer had them work down the broad bottom row of feathers, compressing them between folded over towels and straightening them one by one on opposite sides.

Dry sweat and dirt came off with steady, one-way strokes. Chloe didn't know how long he'd had them back, but she suddenly felt bad with the certainty he had no one to do this for him. Particles of dead skin and shedding fluff too small to discern individually flaked off in the sun. It reminded Chloe unfortunately of the last time she brushed out a dog on a porch.

Practically, things that need regular maintenance to stay in shape made reality more manageable. Having something she could help with, fix and make better gave her focus. Even if it was immortality-adjacent. The wings were physical, touchable.

Chloe shot a look over at Dan. He appeared to be talking to himself under his breath. Anyone else bearing under the repetitive task would be complaining about the monotony. Dan recited movie lines to keep his mind from wandering. It was a background focus technique.

She swapped out new towels since she sat closer to the insulated cooler than Dan. He traded out the first set, nodding over them like they were washing a car. He moved up to the second row, back to the outer edge.

Chloe paused to stretch. "This is going to kill my arms."

Lucifer looked back at her. "Trade you."

"Seriously, these are so pretty."

"Can we not right now?"

"Sure, sorry."

Trixie fidgeted. "Are there kid angels?"

Lucifer had closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of feathers falling back in place. The warm cloths relaxed his shaft roots, making it easier to realign them. He hadn't had them out in sunlight in a long time. It was nice.

"Not anymore."

Trixie looked between him and the wings. "Can you give mommy a baby angel?"

Chloe, Dan and Lucifer froze as a unit.

Lucifer cleared his throat first. "No, not normally." He shrugged, resettling his wings. "But it's a lot of fun to try."

Chloe plinked his side with her fingers.

"What? Am I wrong?"

Lucifer regarded Trixie. "Why aren't you scared of me?

"'Cause you aren't scary."


	14. How do you like me now?

Emotionally and physically exhausted, Dan held Trixie's hand as they exited the elevator. He volunteered to give the other two some alone time. Chloe still looked a little green around the gills from not much sleep, and, well everything else. Feeling suddenly old, he desperately needed a nap. He hoped Chloe wouldn't mind if he crashed on her couch for a few hours.

He debating on calling them in sick for Monday. He knew he could use a longer weekend. He had a pretty solid idea of how Ella would react to all three of them not turning up at work tomorrow. She'd probably turn up at Lux, find a pile of feathers, and they'd go through the entire routine again. He hoped she didn't read too much into his Biblical questions the other day. Especially now that they were relevant.

Empty of patrons since last night, the club lights lit bare tables and chairs. He'd seen it a million times before, but the downstairs piano seemed particularly alone.

Dan didn't intend to speak to her, but it came out of his mouth anyway when he spotted Maze hanging out behind the club bar, hours after her 'time-out.'

"Hey." As he got closer, he saw she was making what could only be a voodoo doll out of tiny plastic swords, toothpicks, and drink garnishes from the bar. He hoped it was not actually a voodoo doll.

Maze looked up over her organic and plastic creation. She speared a spare orange slice on a toothpick with one hand and set a large glass bottle on the bar with the other. The sound system wasn't on, their steps echoing softly on wood floors filling the thick silence. She dropped ice in a glass, swirling it around in crisp, clattering circles.

He didn't really want a drink right now.

She gave Trixie a white ceramic bowl of maraschino cherries from under the bar. Trixie looked askance at the offering, pretending she didn't want to dive into them headfirst.

The demon, demon! , pushed the glass across the bar top with a wooden scrape at Dan. "Yeah?"

He didn't know what he wanted to say, or why he stopped at the bar instead of just leaving with a friendly wave. "How are you?"

She squinted, leaning on an elbow. "Fiiiiiine. How are you liking that sweet angel as-"

Dan coughed. "Look, I know politeness isn't your thing. In fact, I don't know anyone more badass than you, but could you at least pretend there's a child present?"

She chewed on a bit of plastic. "That depends on how well you tip."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Really? Okay, fine." He grabbed his wallet out of his pocket and dropped a five into the jar. "For a drink I didn't order."

Maze looked him up and down.

He sighed and added a ten. "Better?"

"For now."

"How are you really?"

She did a shot. "Don't you want to ask what's really on your mind?"

"And what's that?"

"The big one. ' Why?'"

Dan shrugged. "Would you answer it?"

She smirked. "Probably not."

"Well, there you go."

Maze took a garnish stick out of whatever it was she was messing with, popping an olive in her mouth and crushing it in her teeth. Her eyes might have softened a little. "This whole thing would be a lot more tolerable for me if Lucifer had just gone after you instead of Decker."

Dan winced. "I'm not looking for a long-term commitment with him."

"Exactly."

Trixie chomped on a cherry, totally not eyeing them.

"Hey, Trix, do you want to play with my phone?"

"Nah."

Maze pulled the five out and handed it to Trixie. "Hey, go play with the gadget for ten minutes."

She took the five, her cherries, and the phone and plopped down in a booth across the floor.

Dan grumbled but dropped another bill in the jar when it was clear she was going to make him pay dearly, one way or another. "Lucifer keeps saying he's 'retired.' What does that mean?"

Her very human dark eyes watched him. "He thinks we're not going back. One way or another, we will."

"Why do you say that?"

Her face tightened. "We're immortal. Do you have any useful concept of what that means?"

Dan reconsidered the drink she poured him but shook his head. "If I say yes, you're going to tell me I'm wrong anyway, so go ahead."

"You've been on earth for, what, thirty-something years? Add some zeros to that for my lifespan. Call it a handful. Lucifer is older than I am. He made me. Can you conceive of that? He doesn't have children, he has demons. That he made. And I'm hunting one down to either kill her or send her back to hell."

He glanced over his shoulder. His daughter played with the phone, a cherry stem jutting out of the corner of her mouth. She excitedly jumped up, swung the phone around in a circle and tossed virtual pokeballs at something she found in the back corner.

"Can we help you find her, somehow?"

"This isn't someone you can arrest."

He turned the glass around, not drinking it. "I know, but maybe we can help?"

"You seem to be taking the afterlife thing pretty well."

Dan pushed the drink further away. "How I see it, Chloe and I have two options. We can go insane, or keep it together. Trixie seems completely fine. Like she knew it from the beginning. I guess Chloe and I can always go join a cult out in the desert or give Burning Man a try."

She returned a flat look. "Ah, yes. Burning Man. That's always fun."

"I always kind of believed in, well, God. Chloe less so. I've seen enough science fiction to still wonder if Lucifer's from another planet, since the only thing I've seen that's different about him is the wings. It's just my 'mortal' brain trying to make sense." He tried to look at Maze and not flinch. He shuffled. "You look human too."

"Oh?" She leaned back. Her face changed .

In a blink, half her face turned black and twisted in a slightly asymmetric pattern. One eye surrounded by corruption paled to milky white, unblinking. "You never saw Lucifer's Devil form."

Dan pushed back from the bar, tossing over a chair. He flailed and tripped, hitting the hard floor in a collection of limbs.

Mazikeen came around the bar, her disfigured, hidden face coming closer. She clutched one of her knives in a hand. It caught the light in a silver flash.

"You might feel differently about your boyfriend if you had seen his body covered in red, burnt skin. If you'd seen his wings cut off at the very roots, bones, and joints that I cut through and scarred with this very burning blade. Because he asked me to cut off the last thing he had that reminded him of his Father." She raised her wickedly curved dagger, punctuating her cutting words. "Did you know he doesn't have any hair in that form? The thin stretched skin on his skull is blistered and scorched like broiled meat."

Dan scrambled away, breathless, backing away on his hands and ass. He didn't have his sidearm on him. His instincts screamed at him to find a weapon to defend himself. Defend Trixie. Where was Trixie?

The demon advanced, stalking. Her measured stiletto steps clapping back and forth in cavern echoes. She stopped, one heel placed forward between his open knees. "Immortality is one thing. Do you know what it's like to burn for a thousand years? Or more? Because 'Dad' doesn't like one little thing you did wrong?"

Trixie's bowl crashed and cracked to the floor, sending cherries rolling. "Maze!"

Maze's face abruptly flicked back. To normal , Dan thought insanely.

The reversion helped.

Trixie was having none of it. "Stop scaring people!"

Dan sat up, rubbing his elbow. When Trixie came close, he grabbed her around the waist, glitter tutu crunching. "You okay?"

Maze jerkily stepped back. "Yeah. Ask her if she's okay being around a demon. Because I'm dangerous to humans."

Dan swallowed and let go of Trixie. He looked up at Maze from his sore ass on the floor. "Are you?"

"You've seen my bounty handiwork."

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

Somehow he knew her answer. And she knew why he asked it.

The demon looked down at them. She stepped back to her drink at the bar, flipping her tightly drawn hair. "Go home. I wish I could."

* * *

Chloe kissed Lucifer gently. "How do you stay sane here, with all us humans?"

He stroked her hair. His wings were tucked away again. "Practice, I suppose." They held each other on the couch. Lucifer still hadn't put a shirt on, and she wasn't about to ask him to. The place was clean again, like nothing insane had just happened over the last two days. Dishes ran in the washer, perishables were put back in the fridge. Life happened.

She blew out against her hair, loose gold strands puffing out. She was going to have to get her roots done again soon before the dark underneath grew out much further.

Everything's fine. We're all fine here. Planning out perfectly normal human activities for the rest of the week. I have to pick up apples, honey ham, and cheese sticks for Trixie's school lunch snacks.

She curled up against him and listened to him breathe. If she positions her head just right, she can hear the blood rush of his pulse. Lower down, his stomach made a squishy noise in response to breakfast. It bubbled up and faded out again.

"Is this going to work? Us?"

Lucifer sat quietly for a moment. "I know I want you in my life if you want that too."

"I wonder what 'Dad' thinks of me dating His kid. One of His kids. I'll have to find something to tell my mother eventually. She's probably perfectly happy assuming it's a stage name."

She felt him twitch. The warm hand around her waist brushed her back over the t-shirt.

She changed the subject. "There's really no such thing as vampires, huh?"

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Maze. I asked her about vampires and werewolves."

"Have you been watching Buffy reruns?"

She snorted. "How did you watch Buffy but not Star Trek?"

"Just a handful of episodes here and there. A few people have vampire fetishes these days. More than a few. It helps to find the current source of such things. A man asked me to roleplay Angel once."

Chloe found herself giggling, and thanking her stars she found herself reacting with genuine amusement instead of knee-jerk jealousy. "Wouldn't you do a better Spike?"

"Let's just say he wasn't that interested in my accent. Which was a relief since my 'American' is terrible. 'Broody Vampire' is a little easier."

"Oh, does that mean you'd be willing to do Spike for me someday? I could be Buffy."

"As long as you aren't asking me to go blonde. Or cower before crosses."

"I'm just happy you didn't say ' Twilight ' was your source material."

"I'm sure that threw more fuel on the supernatural fire of lusty fantasies, but I'd burn that before reading it."

She snickered. "That crowd probably isn't even old even to get into the club."

"You'd be surprised how many horny housewives read that stuff. Linda has a copy."

"Oh no."

Lucifer shrugged under her. "We all have our unsophisticated outlets. You can't possibly tell me you've never read a 'bodice ripper'."

She squirmed a little.

He grinned victoriously. "Thought so."

Chloe burrowed into his side.

"You all right, love?"

"I feel like if I let go of you, I'll never see you again."

"Why do you think that?"

"Like you'll fly away from me. Now that I know."

"Never."

"Is it okay if I talk to Linda about this?"

"Of course."

She bit her lip, eyes closed, smelling him. Inhaling him. She felt something in her soul welling up.

"Lucifer?"

"Yes?"

"Do I have a soul?"

"Of course you do."

"Should I...uhm...go back to church?"

He shivered. "If you want to. I can't imagine what help it'd be."

"So, the whole Jesus guy?"

Lucifer sighed. "He was a very polite, generous man. He thought he talked to Dad. Maybe even did, for all I know. Possibly even part-angel. He had a scent of celestial on him, but he wasn't one. He managed to keep a few people out of hell by teaching tolerance and, well, basically telling people not to be dicks to each other."

She giggled in spite of herself.

He absent-mindedly rubbed a long finger behind her ear. "Naturally, it all went to shit one way or another. But he was basically right - be a generally good little human, and you probably won't go to hell."

"Probably?"

"Extreme guilt will drive souls there too, absent real sins."

"Does having the Devil for a boyfriend tilt my scales one way or another?"

"If such scales exist, I've never seen them."

She squeezed him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For telling the truth. I'm glad Dan did what he did. Please don't hold it over his head too long."

"I wanted to keep your innocence intact longer. For as long as possible."

"Hmmm?"

"Now you're going to ask me all kinds of questions about the "End Times," heaven, hell, Dad."

"Ugh. Can I just stay here?" Her stomach suddenly grumbled, reminding her it had been a long morning already. They'd spent hours on his wings, with assurances that next time wouldn't take so long.

Next time.

"I'm not ready to ask those questions. Or hear the answers. I'm going to just shove it all in the back of my brain for now. I'll poke you eventually about it, but right now my brain just needs to settle. I like being here. You're my happy, warm rock for my lizard brain."

Her phone buzzed several times.

She peeled herself off of Lucifer, grabbing her phone off the coffee table. Dan wanted to see her sometime this afternoon.

"What do you have around here for lunch?"

Lucifer pulled her down for a longer kiss. His body felt so damn good under her.


	15. Interlude: Darkness Waiting

Amenadiel perched on the top of his apartment building, drink in hand.

He no longer had wings, but he still liked to hike up to the top and feel the wind.

He smirked to himself, looking up at clouds painted in orange and red. _You can't take the sky from me._

Not the view of it anyway.

Still, something smelled wrong in the wind. His angelic senses gone, he wasn't sure what, but it resonated in his bones.

He always counted on his younger brother holding something back. But something felt slightly more. Imminent.

He sipped his rum and coke. He had to take the drinking a lot easier these days, lacking Lucifer's constitution for the stuff.

He hadn't heard a peep from his brother all weekend. Not that even that was really weird.

Amenadiel finished his drink and checked his phone. Linda sent him a note. He smiled.

He replied and pulled up Lucifer's number.

He tapped out a few lines, then backed up.

There was always tomorrow. He darkened the screen.

* * *

She wasn't going back to hell.

If Lucifer himself could do it, so could she 'retire'. If only the damn humans would stop getting in her way.

She knew it was a mistake not to leave her new home sooner. She counted too much on this human attachment of his to distract him.

He made her, like Mazikeen.

Unlike Mazikeen, she was unimportant. An afterthought. No one would have missed her.

If she hadn't shed human blood, they might not have noticed at all.

Lucifer himself didn't notice, next to his pet human. That was all she could be, a pet. A plaything. That was all she should be. Mortals.

He abandoned his creations, save Mazikeen. The rest were useless to him. Eons doing his bidding, and what thanks does she get?

Nothing.

Not even a 'how do you do.' on his way out.

Ungrateful bastard.

He carelessly offered apartment space, not even knowing who she was. She didn't have a blade. It would have sung to him.

She didn't take one with her when she left hell. She was more cunning than that. Between the two of them, she had no hope of killing either, if it came down to it, so she hid instead. Like she had to do again, before they noticed she didn't turn up.

She didn't need a blade.

Absently, she chewed on one of her fingers.

She wasn't going back to hell.

After not getting new replies to her last text, Chloe found Dan passed out on the apartment couch when she got back home. His back pressed against the cushions with an arm under a throw pillow. She thought he might be twitching in a dream.

Maze still hadn't returned, or they missed crossing paths again. No weapons were lying out in the open, marking it as unlikely Maze had stopped back by.

Chloe walked past the edge of the couch, eyes drifting over him. A few years ago, she would have planted a quick kiss on his forehead.

She moved on, cracking Trixie's door open to find her daughter napping too, still wearing the glitter skirt in a crunchy poof around her waist. She stepped in to gently lay a blanket over her, then went back out.

Shucking her boots off, Chloe thought about waking Dan. She threw off an urge to curl up on the couch as a little spoon, wondering where it came from. She put up her boots in the shoe closet, picking up a few things here and there around the place.

He didn't wake up, sleeping like a log.

As an afterthought, she grabbed a fleece blanket and settled it over him too.

The longer she watched, the sleepier she got. Chloe moved to her own bedroom and lay down for a few minutes.

* * *

Lucifer fidgeted in the afternoon sun. It was neither late, nor early. He finally put on formal wear, a lighter blue-grey with a vibrant teal button up and matching pocket square.

The place echoed, empty of companions and he found himself restless. There would be hours to fill before the club got going again. Even on a Sunday night, it could get pretty full. Until then, he had some time to kill. Just a few months ago, it wouldn't have taken long to get a nice, warm body or three up here for some entertainment, but that wasn't an option.

It was enough to make him want to text Amenadiel. His brother probably should know what happened, exposure-wise.

He paused, a thumb hoving over the 'send' graphic.

Changing directions, he scheduled the house cleaner to come by before later tonight, and to bring a new full set of towels. Not a terribly unusual request, certainly.

Which reminded him of something else.

He took the elevator one floor down, but found the usual guest bedroom empty. Not even a bag. No one had so much as disturbed the sheets.

He took the stairs back up and called through his club's business line. The bartender on duty picked up.

"Patrick? Has someone named Claire -" He didn't get her last name. "Come by about a room?"

"Sorry, no. As far as I know, none of the spare rooms are occupied right now."

Lucifer tried to dismiss it. "I guess she changed her mind. Do me a favor and do tell me if you hear from her."

"You got it. Need anything else? Bar restock upstairs?"

"No, wait, hang on." Lucifer checked the trash. "Can you send someone out for a few packages of a particular brand of cupcakes? And I could do with some more bacon. Take it out of petty cash."

Ella hadn't moved in ages.

Something was missing and it snagged on her brain like a fingernail in wool.

She originally dismissed a long, thin scratch on the glass murder weapon as having come from an animal. Probably when the thing was thrown into the culvert.

She came back into the lab after stopping in a church. Randomly, she thought. It was a beautiful day, so she walked to work, making a few detours for coffee and apparently, prayer.

The air and sun helped clear her head, and she found herself wanting to take another dive into the evidence room.

Ella was nothing if not thorough. When the glass murder weapon was cleaned by the lab, she had them keep the grime around it in a separate container. There might be a fingernail or hair follicle or something leftover that could be used to identify someone.

There was 'something' leftover.

She sorted through the debris, checking by eye for bits of rock, torn biological material, anything the interns or other techs might have missed.

She almost did too.

The thing was as black as the glass weapon, but it didn't match any broken parts. The first pass through the material, she set it aside and it pricked her finger through her glove.

Angry with herself, and knowing she'd have to check her tetanus shot schedule, she left to wash, bandage up her finger, change gloves and come back. As a result, she left the offending piece of sharp glass as the last thing to double check.

She picked it up carefully with tweezers and something flaked off. Glass wasn't supposed to do that.

Upon further inspection, it looked light-sucking black, without a reflection that comes with polished glass.

She squeezed the object and it gave ever so slightly.

Wary of the curved end now, she turned it over.

It was a claw.

It was unlike any claw she'd ever seen before in her life. Like a curved fingernail, but with a narrow, wicked tip. Under the microscope, it reminded her unpleasantly of a cockroach leg, with jagged backwards tips that would catch and rake flesh.

It didn't come from anything that had retractable claws. It wasn't a dog claw, certainly. It wasn't a strange, but dangerous fake prop fingernail. Not plastic. Not metal. Organic. Kind of.

Ella set it down again, for probably the third time. She mechanically photographed it, re-bagged it and set it in a drawer. It would keep for tomorrow. This case had her on edge as it was. Maybe it was getting to her. She'd come back in the morning and it would be a perfectly normal mountain lion claw.

Yes, that's it.


	16. Fluff and Circumstance

Chloe woke in the dark, unsettled, from a dead sleep. The kind when you wake up and you aren't even sure who you are.

Moonlight traced across her eyes. The side of the bed dipped with weight. Warm lips kissed her forehead.

Memory returned. Kind of. Heat of a body sank into her side.

She yawned and wriggled against him. "Lucifer? What time is it?" Her mouth tasted like she'd been chewing old socks.

"3 a.m. You didn't pick up, so I came by after the club closed."

She shot upright. "What?" hot spikes shot into her brain with the movement. "Fuck, ow." Spots swirled before her eyes and light and dark slowly went back where it was supposed to be. She had the impression Lucifer had to dodge her head.

He cupped her face with both hands, cradling her jaw with them. "Dan's still asleep on the couch too. Perhaps delayed Devil-shock? How are you feeling, love?"

"You mean it's Monday?" She groaned, digging fingers under her eyes. "I have to go to work in four hours. We have to go to work in four hours. My head is killing me. Why didn't this happen this morn-yesterday?"

"The wings have healing properties. Them being out last night might be beneficial in some way. Hold still, I think I can help your head."

"Did you check on Trixie? Help my head?"

"She's watching TV and eating cereal. She wanted to pet me some more."

His thumbs rubbed circles over her sinuses. Some of the tension drained out of her and the pain alleviated a bit. Enough to bring her awareness up to focus on him.

She leaned her forehead into his shoulder, clapping her hands around his on her face. "Did you let her pet you?"

"A little. She's been informed she's not to make a habit of it."

She let go of his hands with a sigh, rubbing his ring absently in passing. His hands fell from her face, stroking her temples. "Thanks for indulging her. I'm sure it's not fun to have the focus on them instead of you." She wrinkled her nose. "You smell like cigarette smoke. Did you bring a change of clothes? How about you get out of that expensive crap and cuddle with me for a little bit?" She sniffed his hair. "Take a shower first too."

"I swear I don't remember this stuff clinging to me this much."

"Well, go deal with it, or I'll make you buy me new pillows. And you'll be sleeping alone."

He shrugged off his jacket. "I think you just like seeing me naked."

"I like watching you undress. It's somehow sexier than when you just show up naked."

He grinned in the moonlit dark, the light picking up on his cheekbones. "Oh? Well, then I'll just have to add 'striptease' to my vast skill set."

Her eyes began to adjust and he became more than dark against dark outlines.

Lucifer unbuttoned his shirt cuffs, one at a time, striding back up to her. He was fun to watch, and not just because of the looks. He _prowled_ when he wanted to be sexy, which was often. She smiled up at him, chin perched on her hands. She pointedly looked him up and down. "So many buttons. I should help."

Chloe took apart his waistcoat, one button at a time. She leaned up to kiss him, then started and waved him off again. "Nope, I was wrong, shower first."

He smiled anyway. "Do you want to keep me company? I think you owe me a scrubbing."

"Oh, is that how it works? You have more area to cover on you, buddy. I think you're going to end up owing me more shower scrubbing time."

"Oh dear, whatever shall we do about that?" He pulled his shirt loose, drawing off the waistcoat and button-up together. "We should get started, then."

"I'm beginning to see why you got naked all the time early in our professional relationship."

"Oh?"

"It has a certain appeal after all." She pulled his belt loose, leather coming out of fabric loops.

"You're saying you didn't appreciate all this quality landscape back then?"

"It's not that you weren't nice to look at..." His trousers came unzipped next.

He pressed a kiss against her hair. "So you did look."

She cocked her eyebrows at him and bit her lower lip. "Kinda hard not to. Hey, did I ever tell you about this sexy dream I had about you?"

"Detective!"

"Somewhere in this room is a pair of Halloween Devil horns. Is all I'm saying."

"I need to hear more about this, but there better not be a tail."

"Nope. No tail. We were in your penthouse." She felt herself going red. "My dream went a lot like our real first time, actually, except the horns. Which, in my dream, made, uh, good...handles."

"Oh, that sounds delightful. A headband won't be secure enough for that, but we could work something up, I'm sure." Silky boxers found her floor. His posture stiffened a little. "What did I look like?"

Chloe pulled her shirt over her head. She didn't smell great either. "Yourself? Just with curved red horns covered in glitter."

He bent to pick up his clothes and stack them. "Me or the horns?

She snorted. "Just the horns. You covered in glitter sounds alarming."

Whatever caused his momentary tension left him. "Ah, yes, it is. Glitter gets everywhere." He threw in a look that meant _everywhere_.

"Oh no."

"There's a reason I frown on bachelorette parties or gay weddings in my club. And why I have a shower head with a high-pressure setting and a hose attachment."

Chloe clamped her mouth tightly to keep from waking up anyone else in the apartment, but couldn't suppress the stomach spasms. "Why, how else would you look?" She'd fallen asleep fully dressed. Lucifer happily helped her out of her jeans.

He looped his fingers through the sides of her underwear, rubbing his thumbs over her hip bones. Her headache was gone.

He paused again. "Nothing you'd like. Fortunately, there are no cameras in hell."

* * *

Dan woke up with a cramp somewhere in his back. Noise threw itself against his ears and the scraping sounds of life intruded. His eyes gummed with crusty bits in the corners and they came apart in protest. Nothing wanted to move, come to that.

The TV was on and his daughter lounged against the side of the couch, watching brightly colored ponies sing and dance at a low volume. Dark pigtails framed the bubbly characters. He didn't recall grabbing a blanket, but there was one over him.

Dan breathed in and stretched, embracing the cramping stiffness and shaking it out with a groan that would compete with the shitty couch back at his place. Multiple joints cracked. He reached out and pulled Trixie up against his stomach from the floor, hugging her. "Hey, short stuff."

She giggled, snuggling into his side, but undistracted by him.

"What time is it?"

"MMm-mm."

"Alexa-? Dang it."

He wasn't familiar with Chloe's apartment. He settled for looking out a window. It was dark. Maybe it wasn't too late to catch a few hours of bed sleep at his apartment. He hadn't napped this hard before in his life. Rolling up, he tried to see the microwave clock, without luck.

"Ugh."

Dan hauled himself up, every muscle in his body grumbling with the movement. Carbonite had more give than he did right now.

He wedged himself high enough to find the kitchen clock. 4 a.m.

 _Shit._

His back convinced him he wouldn't enjoy rolling over and just finishing the night on the couch. Sighing, he scooted out from behind Trixie, patting her on the head. Vertigo played with his inner ears when he straightened and parts of his shirt stuck to him unpleasantly. _God, did I sweat half the night too?_

He rolled his eyes at himself. _Don't answer that._

Chloe's door was shut. He tapped a few times with knuckles. Hearing nothing in response, he cracked it open, just to make sure she made it home.

Lucifer slept spooned up behind Chloe, one insanely long arm wrapped around her over the blankets. The lights were off with traces of outside ambient light showing against bare feet and shoulders. Chloe snored.

A bare waft of humidity came through the door. Somehow he'd slept through not only Lucifer arriving and passing him, but the sound of a shower as well.

A tug of jealousy picked at him, but he shoved it down. If this was something he wanted to participate in, he couldn't allow himself to be possessive. He had no right to it for one thing, being the outside party. The second he gave into it, he'd be shoved out the door. Dan made a mental note to do more Googling on complicated relationships. Ella probably has some good recommendations stored up.

Not to mention, and not wanting to sound like a goddamn teenager, he had his chance. He was the one who blew it all the hell, not her. Her letting him in at all was a gift-horse he wasn't going to look too closely at.

 _Besides_ , he thought to himself, _between Chloe's professionalism and Lucifer's...Luciferness...work could get a lot more interesting with the Devil being allowed to stalk me._ That much brought an involuntary grin to his face, tinged with embarrassment. Who exactly was he hoping for more of anyway? The literal Devil or Chloe?

The Devil. Definitely.

For one thing, he wasn't kidding himself about staying involved. Sooner or later, Chloe would get tired of this little experiment and kick him out. For now, he gave him more time with their kid, and a way to blow off some steam. And, he could admit to himself that last night was fun, if incomplete.

She smiled in her sleep, Lucifer breathing into her hair. He eased the door closed silently. Dan had no clue how either of them were going to deal with the immortality thing. For whatever reason, he was here, and chose to be. He thought he saw Lucifer squint up at him as the door clicked closed, but maybe not. Either way, he didn't intend to intrude.

Maybe there was a convincing fiction book somewhere on a shelf on immortals and mere mortals successfully mixing. From what he remembered of his assigned reading in school and college, it never really worked out for either.

Dan shook his head and turned away. He took the remote from Trixie and tapped the volume down a few more notches. "Have you had much sleep, monkey?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"How about for school in a few hours? You want to try and rest a little more?"

She hopped back on the couch with him. "You could stay here and watch ponies with me."

Dan wrapped his arm around her again. Whatever else this insanity meant, he got some make-up time with his daughter. "I'll watch ponies with you if you help me with breakfast in a little while, how's that sound?"

"Sure!"

"I hope you aren't too freaked out about this weekend."

She looked at him funny.

Dan flapped his hands.

"Pppppft. Lucifer told me the first day we met that he was the Devil. Didn't he tell you?"

"Well, yeah."

"I found a teacher at school who goes to church. She wouldn't talk to me about Lucifer at first."

"Uh, oh?"

"Yeah, mom had to tell her that she knew Lucifer too, and after that, she kind of stopped freaking out and told me how-" She held up fingers to air quote the name, "The 'real Lucifer' became the Devil, and that he started out as an angel." She scrunched up her face. "And that he wasn't even the Devil until he got thrown out of heaven by God. God sounds mean. You and mom never threw me out of the house for anything."

"When was this?"

"Like a week or two after we met him. Don't you think he looks like an angel?"

Dan swallowed. "Yeah, he does."

"Are you moving back in?"

"No, sweetie."

She chewed her lip. "Do you like Lucifer too?"

"Uhm."

"A bunch of kids at school have two dads."

"Uhm."

She whispered. "One kid has a mom and a dad, and her dad has a girlfriend, but her mom doesn't know about it."

"Uhm."

"She's worried that they're going to split up."

"I see."

"If mom marries Lucifer, will you still be my dad?"

"Hey, what's going on in this show with the ponies?"

"Pinkie Pie is trying to take over the world."

"Really? But she seems so nice."

Trixie whispered back. "That's the secret."

* * *

Three or four episodes of ponies later - they all kind of blurred together - Dan heard a toilet flush in the back. Dawn rose, lightening the living room.

He yawned. "Okay, kiddo, that's it. Go get ready for school then come help me with breakfast, okay?"

Trixie bounced to her feet with the energy of, well, a nine-year-old.

He checked the fridge for eggs and milk. Dan wondered what the odds where that Chloe might still have something he could change into.

Lucifer emerged first, dressed in trousers and a light purple button-up and holding a dry cleaner's bag full of crumpled suit. He was looking back through the door and laughing about something. A pillow flew out and hit him the side of the head. He tossed it back with a grin and no force.

The apartment came to life.

"Good morning, other-Detective."

 _Well, it was better than 'Detective Douche.'_ "Hey." Dan turned back to the fridge for juice.

Lucifer smacked his ass.

He yelped. "Really?"

"You seem tense this morning. Need a little help?"

Dan found himself more grumpy than he expected to be. "Why, are you offering a back rub?"

"I can offer a something-rub."

Oh.

Lucifer sniffed him. "Well, after you get cleaned up."

"This is probably your fault you know. I slept for twelve hours straight."

"I've already offered to make it up to you."

Chloe saved him by coming out and taking over breakfast. "Hey, go shower. You can borrow Lucifer's extra jeans and a shirt. Top drawers." Her hair was a lovely disaster.

"Er."

"And boxers. Shoo, go. Did you sweat through everything?"

"Lucifer wears jeans?"

Dan escaped, unsure if he should use her bathroom or the guest and make a wet, naked run to the bedroom. Trixie made the decision for him by being in the second bath.

 _This is still weird._

Crowding the sink in the bathroom were a legitimately absurd number of various products. It took Dan a second to figure out which half were Lucifers. _Was that a package for a cucumber mask?_ Yup. A couple of black curls clung to a comb. Did they look any different under a microscope than 'regular' hair? Involuntarily, he thought of Maze, and her insistence that Devil Lucifer didn't even have hair, in some other form.

He blinked, dropping his nasty shirt in the hamper outside the master bath. _This shit is exactly why Lucifer didn't really want anyone to 'know.' Let's just get through a normal day at work and everything will be fine, okay, brain? Okay, Dan._

That bout of sanity lasted until after the shower and he went hunting for clothes. Did the pink workout clothing get up he was forced to wear that time ever made it back to Chloe? He found 'Lucifer's drawer' and a neat stack of nearly identical black and off-black soft boxers. Which led to thinking about taking _off_ Lucifer's boxers. And the aforementioned offer.

Sigh.

At least the jeans fit, if a smidge short on him. A black fitted Henley at least looked like something he'd wear. He'd bet his ass Chloe picked the jeans for him since they weren't designer. Thank God they weren't slim fit. He adjusted himself until he didn't feel like the boxers were going to wiggle out of the jeans. What did the Devil have against cotton underpants anyway?

If he went straight to work, at least no one would assume he was wearing Lucifer's clothes.

Trixie knocked on the outside of the door. "Bye, dad!"

"Bye, sweetie!" Sneaker footsteps pounded out the front door, leaving a pang of guilt in their wake. He didn't think that was something he missed by not being in their lives. It wasn't something he remembered specifically from before either. How did he miss that?

Lucifer looked him up and down with a patented Devil smile and pulled out a chair. "You look much nicer."

"Did you just, pull out a chair for me?"

"What? I can be nice." Dan sat and Lucifer ruffled his hair.

"What is up with you today?"

"Must be the wing grooming. Those things get unbearably itchy when they're neglected."

"I don't suppose there's coffee?"

Chloe stabbed into a stack of blueberry pancakes. A blessed sight of hot, steaming coffee presented itself via Devil to Dan. It smelled incredible. It tasted incredible.

"Dude, do you have food superpowers too? 'Cause I'm about to propose."

"Nuh-uh. I saw him first. Thanks for breakfast, you really outdid yourself this morning. I need to go do my face."

Lucifer picked up her plate, leaning over Dan. "Well, that should give us five or ten minutes to ourselves, Daniel, how about it?"

Dan inhaled some of his coffee, coughing. He intended to make a smartass comment to wave Lucifer off. What came out of his face was, "If you want your boxers back that badly, you're going to have to wait until I finish sucking down this glorious coffee you sacrificed a goat to yourself for to get this good."

Lucifer gleefully waited, endless dark eyes grinning over his coffee.

He didn't wait long.

* * *

Maze was right about one thing. Watching her current lover throw her ex on the bed and go down on him was fucking hot.

Lucifer tugged Dan's borrowed jeans and boxers down to just mid-thigh. Lucifer himself didn't strip. The scene was hotter than it had a right to be, with the men mostly clothed. The sounds coming from Dan threatened the state of her clean work pants.

Chloe didn't want to be late to work again, but it was a near thing.

Dan still had a goofy orgasm face.


	17. Dark Roast

Lucifer's throat muscles pulled Dan to new highs. Slick swallowing heat drew him out, fast. Perfectly symmetrical matte black lines above and below his stupidly long lashes reminded Dan of the women he'd been with. Stubble scratching where it pressed through his pubes on the down stroke aggressively upended any feminine similarities.

Fuck he was good at this. Dan heard himself making sounds, Lucifer humming around his dick in counterpoint.

A bit of saliva escaped wicked lips, hot running to cool when it hit air, dripping. A strong thumb joined Lucifer's lips, stroking down his shaft to balls, holding near the base, in exquisite tension. Dan's borrowed jeans pushed down his legs made an uncomfortable ridge that urged him to keep his hips up.

The Devil took him deeply, throat open. Dan grabbed at anything, gripping blankets. Hot tongue squeezed the tip of his cock to the roof of his mouth.

"Fuck!"

Dan felt and watched lips curl up around him, black eyes flicking up, and it was his undoing. Deep lower pounding tightness pushed and released in a pulsing rush. dripping where Lucifer didn't quite swallow all it down like a man searching for the bottom of a milkshake with a straw. His lower abs contracted in spams, curling him up in degrees.

Dan lay back awash in numbing warmth, vaguely aware of the bit of mess sliding down his stimulated, twitching cock.

Lucifer got a kick out of tossing him down like a rag doll. Not that he was complaining.

Someone-anyone, as an audience gave him goosebumps. Chloe peeked out from around the corner of her bathroom doorway, having issues getting her lipstick on cleanly, clutching a tube in a one-handed death grip.

He got the feeling she hadn't moved from the mirror since Lucifer shoved his jeans down. Was she thinking about the couple of times he jacked off while she watched? She hadn't been in the mood, simply enjoying holding his unoccupied hand but otherwise not participating.

He stretched, heartbeat receding from his ears. Lucifer withdrew, cat-smiling, absently wiping his mouth.

Chloe, sans lipstick tube, came up behind Lucifer, fabric on fabric arms sliding up his chest. She kissed him on the back of his neck. From his angle, her lips left a blush of red near his jawline. Dan was sure he heard a purr.

"Hello, darling, have you changed your mind?" He hadn't moved from where he now stood at the end of the bed.

Her voice pitched low. "I'm starting to think maybe Trixie missed her bus and we had to drive her to school."

Dan, mid-jean tug, halted. It'd been a long time since he'd heard that one. He got the boxers back up at least.

Confusion lay painted all over Lucifer's face. "That is by far, the strangest version of a come-on I've ever heard."

Chloe, ever-patient, moved her hands the other direction to rest in his front trouser pockets. "What I'm saying is, there are a couple of good reasons We could be late this morning." Dan followed her motions, down to tenting fabric of Lucifer's slacks.

Dan's brain hitched at 'we.'

"Yes, but-"

Her fingertips moved inward within their confines. "Lucifer, honey, 'morning sex' is not something you can give Pierce as a valid reason for being late to work."

Lucifer's face distinctly pinched. "There's something I should tell you about Pierce, now that you mention it."

Chloe's fingers kept moving. "Can it wait?"

"He certainly has. I don't see why not, especially if you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting."

She lipped his earlobe. "What do you think I'm suggesting?"

Lucifer turned to kiss her. She wrinkled her nose but didn't pull back. It registered to Dan that the smell of his satisfaction still clung to his lips. Chloe kissed him anyway, but not deeply. Still, things began stirring around with the visual.

"I think you're suggesting we have a Chloe sandwich wherein my manhood does glorious things to your inner lady bits while Dan does presumably acceptable things with his face to your outer lady bits."

Dan was quite sure his own equipment attempted to make a valiant recovery.

Gah. He hesitated to interrupt, but a sense of impending doom crept up his craw. "What about Pierce?"

Lucifer huffed. "He and I have a long history. Not so much together, but I've known him for ages."

The impact of his choice of terms sank to to them both. Chloe withdrew her hands and stepped back. "Please tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying."

Dan crossed his legs on the bed. "How long a history?"

Lucifer sighed. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to dump this on you so quickly, on top of everything else."

Whatever it was, he hoped it wasn't as earth-altering as everything else. I mean, Pierce had been working with them for a while now. If it was a big deal, Lucifer would have said something, right? "Another angel sibling?"

"If only. Those I can deal with."

Chloe sat on the bed near Dan. "Lucifer."

"Can you promise it won't affect your working relationship?"

"Meaning?"

"He can't know you know."

Dan got annoyed. "Why not?" He wracked his brain for anything regarding Biblical Lucifer he Googled recently. It wasn't much. Wait, is he a universal Satan? From other religions? Shit.

Chloe met Dan's eyes, turned back. "You would have said if he's a demon, right? That's not it?"

Lucifer did not like this. "I'm afraid if I continue, you both will have to call in a personal day."

Dan frowned. "What could be heavier knowledge than you being the Devil?" A horrible thought came to him. "Wait, he's not God, is he?"

"Good grief, no." He barked a laugh, then sobered.

Dan felt both relief and a little embarrassed.

Lucifer continued, less happily. "But he's almost as old as the not-so-metaphorical Eden."

Shit. There's a Garden of Eden. Because of course, there is. He tried to shut down his brain before it went much further with that line of thought. Noah? No, stop, Dan. Focus. "There's an Eden?"

"Was. Lovely creation. The famed Hanging Gardens didn't come close."

Chloe straightened, undeterred. "Who is he then?"

Lucifer turned away, reluctance written in his posture. "Cain."

"Cain? Cain from the Bible Cain? Please tell me it's not literal."

Dan's brain echoed the sentiment, where it wasn't freezing up and rolling over itself.

"After he murdered his brother, Dad marked him, permanently. He can't die, but he wants to."

His brain re-engaged. "God rewarded him with eternal life?" That didn't make sense. Sure, like anything else up to this point from last freaking Friday makes sense.

Lucifer frowned, as if it was a stupid question. "Rewarded? Hardly."

"But he can't be killed?"

"Oh, you misunderstand. He can be killed. The sodding bastard just won't stay dead. Like a bloody classic vampire but none of the tricks for destroying one works." The vehemence in Lucifer's voice gave Dan the impression that theory had already been tested.

"Like DeadPool?"

No, he was wrong. The look Lucifer gave him was distinctly less tolerant than the 'rewarding' question.

Chloe got up. "Why is he here? And a Lieutenant?"

"See, I told you this is going to take all day."

Dan joined her. "I think we have a right to know."

"It's not like he's dangerous."

"A cursed murderer who can't die isn't dangerous?" Why do I feel like I'm asking questions that are both perfectly reasonable and unbelievably dumb at the same time?

"Not to you. He came here because of me." Lucifer bit out the next part. "And to use Chloe's special status. He thinks since I'm vulnerable around her, he might be too. He wants to die."

Chloe's hackles raised. "You still have to explain what makes me 'special' around you."

Dan blinked. "So, when did I become part of a murder plot? What is he trying to do with Chloe?"

"Nothing. Neither of us were willing to let her wander into danger just so he can die."

Chloe eyed him. "I don't know if I should be angry or not. Does Amenadiel have the same problem around me?"

"Actually, no."

"There you go. Now we don't have to worry about me, and you let us in on what you're going to do with him."

"Well, we started with a chainsaw. Didn't take."

Dan groaned. "No, why are you helping him? Have you considered what might happen if you do manage to kill him and the police find you hovering over his dead body? Have you envisioned the shit storm that would ensue if we didn't already know who you are? Let alone Pierce?"

"I figured I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. All efforts have been unsuccessful thus far."

Chloe's jaw clenched. "Lucifer, we really need to discuss your complete inability to plan for the future."

He cut in, "So, Cain is our boss. Great. Does he actually have a professional background in police work?"

"No idea. Your chain of command put him there. Admittedly he wheedled himself into the position, but he was already a police officer of some kind, I'm assuming, or he wouldn't have gotten this far."

Chloe had that 'about to pull her hair out' look. "Okay. Everything we've seen of him says he knows what he's doing as a Lieutenant. So, knowing work is still work, let's just go in, have a normal day, and re-visit this later. Unless there are any other immortal beings or other creatures at the station we should know about." She squinted. "Are there?"

"None that have revealed themselves to me. I didn't even know Cain was Cain until I saw his mark and stabbed him."

It wasn't nine a.m. and Dan was already out of spoons.

Lucifer cocked his head. "Why do I get the depressing feeling no one is in the mood for morning sexy time anymore?"

Dan drove separately. He considered swinging back by his place for his own clothes, but the extra events of the morning made another stop impossible. At least he still had his regular hoodie. And Lucifer had hair gel at Chloe's that didn't smell like fruit.

He jogged down the stairs into the precinct. The Lieutenant looked unhappy, as always. It reminded him unfortunately of a blond vampire. He angled for a detour around, but Pierce stopped him on the floor. "You're late. Why didn't you call?"

"...Trixie missed her bus."

"I thought Decker had your kid at her place."

Oops. "Chloe's car is in the shop. So I came over. And helped."

"Either of you hear about a bit of technology called Uber? Throw the kid in a car and call it day."

"Okay, I'm here, sorry, do you need something? Or can I get started?"

"I know you came here Saturday, but that's not an excuse to not be here on time today. Don't make a habit of it. And don't try to avoid me. Be an adult and give us a heads up."

Dan's jaw tightened, but Cain wasn't entirely wrong about being late. "Right, no problem."

"It's not my place to comment, but you might want to steer clear of Lucifer outside of office hours. The guy is a loose cannon. Plus, he's dating your ex. No reason to give him more of your brain space than you have to." 'Marcus' seemed to be trying to give him a meaningful look.

Hoo boy. Lucifer's eyes over his dick came back to him. "Yeah, okay. Sure."

"I can keep his and Decker's cases away from your work."

"No, it's fine. Everything is perfectly fine." Dan threw in a thumbs up for good measure. "We work fine together." Stop saying 'fine'.

"I think I see what's going on."

"Uh?"

"You're still protective of her. I mean, she is dating a guy who has to be on some kind of medication, right? Who on earth would have any kind of extended relationship with someone who calls himself the Devil, am I right?"

How did these things happen to me?

"I mean, he's been a valuable part of the workforce here, if eccentric. She knows what she's doing?"

"Are you defending him? Seriously? I know you and Decker split, but I thought you'd be a little more…"

"What?"

"Not okay with it."

I am not okay with you. "I think I'll just get to work, if you don't mind."

—-

Dan tapped the door of Ella's lab. He'd officially had enough paranormal encounters for the day. Some case work should help him take his mind off everything. "Hey, how's our favorite Forensic Scientist today?"

Ella jumped. "Hey Dan." Her hair was a little messy and she looked tired. Her shirt of the day was pale pink with a squat, rounded creature in the middle. The caption read, 'I am a tiny foxtato, and I believe in you, YOU CAN DO THE THING.'

He came in. "You okay, buddy?"

"I'm a little out of it. I didn't sleep great and I think I need more caffeine. The Mondays or something. You look chipper."

Dan swallowed and shrugged. "I got a lot of sleep this weekend."

Ella grinned slyly. "Oh? where did all this sleeping happen?"

He ran slow this morning, apparently. "Uh. Here and there."

She ran her eyes down him. "I see. Are those new jeans? They look a little long on you."

"Dammit, Ella. I just got here. Don't make me go home and change."

"Why, you weren't home this morning?"

"This is what I get for having observant friends. How about I bring you a coffee and you turn your powers for good on this case instead of on my wardrobe?"

"It's a deal. Quad americano, sugar, no cream."

"Station coffee?", he asked hopefully.

"Not if you know what's good for you."

"Starbucks run, got it." Dan sighed.

Chloe tapped in several minutes later. "Hey Ella."

"Hey, Dan is coming back with coffee, and then I can be functional. Did Lucifer come in with you or Dan?"

"Me, wait-"

"Gotcha."

"Are you sure you're not awake?"

"I have energy for exactly one thing right now. Juicy gossip. And I need another person to help me go over my notes from yesterday, because I'm not making sense to myself."

"You came in to work yesterday?"

"Yeah, it was nice out and I just felt like double checking something. You know when you get an idea in your head and it won't go away until you deal with it?"

"Sure."

"I took another look at some of the evidence in the murder case, but my notes don't make any sense this morning."

"What did you find?"

Ella groaned. "Coffee first? Where's Luci?"

The Devil appeared, planting a kiss on the back of Chloe's head. "You seem to be in my way, Detective."

Chloe, who had been standing with her hands spanning the door frame and door, threw a grin over her shoulder. "Oh?"

Lucifer wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her a few inches off her feet, and swung her around and out the door. "There we are." He stepped inside the lab. "Good morning, Ella."

She hopped up out of her chair and hugged him.

"You're going to do this every time I see you, aren't you?"

"Yup."

Lucifer sighed. "So, Dan said you have some new evidence to go over."

"Is he back yet?"

"He's on his way back."

Ella gathered her notes. "Okay, give me a minute to round up my stuff." She pulled a stack of sorted bags out a locker. "Did you have a good weekend?"

"Why, yes, as a matter of fact-"

Chloe broke in. "It was good. We had a good weekend. Lots of sleep. Lots of, uhm, quiet time." She nodded.

Ella poked her in the ribs. "That's what Dan said. Caught up on sleep."

Lucifer glanced over the evidence bags. "Well, they did. Conked out for a solid half-day each."

Chloe groaned. "Lucifer, what did I say a few days ago?"

"You said not to talk to anyone else about our experimental relationship. Ella already inferred everything."

"It's cool, guys, I like to listen to gossip, but I don't share it. Much. How's Dan working out?"

Chloe blushed.

"I'll take that as a leaning 'good'."

Lucifer echoed her grin. "He has his positive points. He's much more tolerable when he's not so worked up. Just needs to release a little tension now and then." He glanced back. "Speak of the Dan!"

A tray of drinks preceded Dan, who had a bag of goodies. "Behold, your king of breakfast. Ella, yours is the one marked 'Leia'. Lucifer, yours is 'Satan', naturally. Chloe - look for 'Kyle' and mine's the last one. There's lemon bars in the bag."

Chloe pulled her cup out of the tray. "Did they at least get your name right?"

"Apparently, at this location, I'm 'Dean'."

"Funny, you don't look anything like a Winchester."

Ella gleefully took a long, slow sip, her eyes blissfully closed. "That is much better."

"Thank Satan, he slipped me a twenty." Dan finally got a look at her shirt of the day. It was a cartoon of a rounded fox thing.

She leaned up and pecked Lucifer on the cheek. "Thanks, Satan. Mmmm. prickly.

Okay, so, I discovered a few things. One, Claire hasn't been heard from, which shouldn't be that big of a deal, but we haven't found any other information about her. The officers who picked up the computer lab after you guys left said the place was empty."

Ella sorted through her bags. "The other, is this thing." She handed the bag to Chloe, which contained a double-bagged claw. Or it kind of looked like a claw. "I can't figure out what it is, except that it's organic, probably, and it's making my brain hurt."

Lucifer stiffened and reached for it. "Naamah."


	18. I see what you did there

So, I might have mentioned I'm not censoring this anymore, it's more smut than plot, so yeah. Lots of smut. This chapter would be a lot shorter otherwise. Feel free to follow me on Ao3 for regular updates, because I forgot I was posting this here too. Same name, FluffyGlitterPantsDragon. 3

* * *

Chloe found herself in the supply closet.

With Dan.

Again.

Lucifer had taken the claw and left. Maybe to turn it over to Maze. Maybe just to get it out of the precinct. Either way, the action left Ella confused and everyone else irritated, and he wasn't answering his cell. Chloe convinced Ella not to say anything about it yet - Lucifer was being Lucifer, and probably had a wild hair up his ass of an idea for the object.

Daily casework and avoiding Pierce carried them through well past lunch.

The evidence room had surveillance cameras, the break room wasn't private but somehow no one ever bothered anyone in the closet, which had a recent delivery leaving them sitting next to each other on packed cardboard boxes.

If someone had told her on their wedding day that ten plus years later she'd have a child, be recently divorced and in love or lust with the Devil...yeah.

Not that he hadn't told her, told _everyone_ _,_ before. That wasn't the conversation she wanted to have with her ex. Sort of ex. _Damn Lucifer and his supernatural sex drive._

 _God._

She fiddled with a loose piece of tape on a box. "How did you find out?"

Dan winced, his neck twitching. "It really was an accident. We...ran with his, um, 'sexy pillow fight' question and your 'fine' as an agreement to do...stuff."

She rolled her eyes. "That was as clear as I was willing to be with everything that happened with Trixie that day. I mean, that was the original idea."

"Thanks?"

"But, what happened?"

Dan blushed and scratched the back of his head. "He accidentally whacked me in the face with, uhm, a wing."

"...how?"

"He was dead asleep and I guess they just…" Dan illustrated with the unfortunate double hand gesture he invented of flapping hands.

Chloe frowned. "Dead asleep? I think the only time I've woken up and he was still in bed was - what was it, yesterday? Usually, he just comes to bed with me, but gets up again."

"Yeah? I woke up and they were just out. I mean, if that happened often, I assumed I wouldn't have been the first one to notice giant fucking wings."

"Did he freak out?"

"He didn't wake up until I had an allergic reaction to feathers. Or I maybe I just sneeze when feathers get shoved into my face. Haven't tested the theory yet. After being pissy, his second reaction was worry he'd broken me or scared me shitless."

"Oh…Are you saying the only reason I didn't see them first was that I didn't wear him out?"

"What? No. We didn't even, uhm." Dan felt his face heat up.

She looked curious. "What?"

"Do you watch male-uh?"

She pressed her lips together, amused. "You know how old we are. I know how gay sex usually works. And yeah, Lucifer's seen my playlists. And hasn't let me forget he has either."

"Apparently, I'm not a bottom."

"What does that have to do with-oh."

"I didn't wear _him_ out, unless he gets off on that. Which, who knows, maybe?"

Chloe bit her lip. "Well, he did ask me to peg him. I've never really been into ass stuff myself."

Dan's face was beet red. "Our attempt didn't go well."

She laughed, but not at him. "I didn't blame you, by the way, for me not being into it. Maybe we should have done more research first. And then Trixie came along not long after and the amount of sex we had after that went downhill fast. So time became a problem."

He bit his lip. "That _and_ a lack of lube. Which, it turns out, you need a lot of."

"Something that isn't covered nearly enough in porn." She licked her lips, pulling back her ponytail. "Would you have wanted to try again, with me?"

"It turns out it's, uhm, fun. So yeah?"

"How's it different? From-?" She gestured vaguely at herself as if he wasn't intimately familiar with her bits.

"Er. There's no. Uhm. End of the line."

"How's that?"

The red color hadn't faded much. "I don't, uhm. No cervix?"

She blinked. "Oh. Ooohhh. I mean, you didn't hit it that often?"

"Yeah, because I couldn't just go deep, at least in missionary. The handful of times I did, it pretty much put the brakes on sex, since bruising you isn't fun for either of us."

That made her grin. "I had no idea." Talking about their previous sex life got a little easier. She really hadn't known he was restraining himself for her benefit. "Yeah. Lucifer doesn't though, and he's, well. Uhm."

Dan helped her out. "Hung? Yeah. That might have something to do with why I haven't let him near _my_ ass either. Also, the Devil. So he probably has a little more experience than I do when it comes to sex, historically. You know, maybe." He added the last with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't think we ever even had the 'how many partners' conversation before we got married, did we?"

"Spoiler alert. Not as many as I bragged about. None who were interested in anything particularly _porny_."

Chloe smirked. "I had plenty of guys who wanted to do porny things, and actual porn, after _Hot Tub High School_. Kinda turned me off of trying anything new for a good long while, actually."

"We haven't talked about Lucifer since the thing with the-"

"I swear to God, Dan, if you flap your hands again, I'm going to punch you."

"Well?"

He had a point. The weekend passed in a whirlwind and this wasn't the kind of thing that could be put off for any real length of time. She swallowed, her voice low. "I don't know. Lucifer is just so, well, _him_. But he's _immortal,_ Dan. I don't know what that really makes either of us. I know I'm still not ready to think about it too hard."

"Either Hell has huge problems, or Lucifer really is retired and someone else is running it? I mean, we aren't active participants in 'End Times'?"

"What?"

"Dan and Chloe. Ex-husband and wife. Two of the four horsemen of the apocalypse."

"That's not funny, Dan."

"It's kind of funny."

Her lips quirked. "It's only funny if it's _not_ true. God, it better not be. Plus, that makes us short at least two other horsemen."

"I can't even ride a horse. Also, Lucifer has judgey opinions on Revelations."

She tried out a joke. "Well, maybe it should all be horsewomen. Me, Linda, Ella and Charlotte."

"Oh, right. Uhm, about-. Actually, I'll tell you later."

She sighed. Hopefully whatever this was about the other women would keep. "You up for hunting Lucifer? At least he doesn't have many hangouts."

Dan rapped on the elevator door frame. "Luce?"

Lucifer was not present.

Given the circumstances, Chloe skipped calling Maze and went straight to Trixie's best friend's mom. She was happy to pick up Trix after school along with her own kid and keep her for an 'overnight stakeout'. Just in case.

Chloe dialed his phone again, just to see if he left it in the penthouse. "So, he has his phone, doesn't want to talk. Wanna raid the bar and hang around in the jacuzzi?"

"Are we not slightly worried about him?"

"He's _Lucifer_ , and now that I know what that actually means, all I have to do is decide how upset I am at him not answering his phone. So no, we aren't worried about him."

"But we _are_ upset at him?"

Chloe went under the bar for her personal wine stash. Dan watched her come up with a red. "Uh oh. We _are_ upset with him, huh?"

"What makes you say that?"

"A cheap, sweet red Lucifer would never admit to keeping in stock?" He knew her habits well enough to know what that meant.

She dropped the bottle on the bar with a thunk then snagged a wine glass. "Want some?"

"How in the name of God did you get him to let you keep screw top wine up here?"

Chloe licked her lips and grabbed a second glass. "You are _so_ drinking with me."

Dan 'relaxed' in the Jacuzzi, marveling a little at how much of his time he was spending in Lucifer's place shirtless. Also, once again borrowing from Lucifer's wardrobe for swim trunks.

The sunset behind them turned the patio rose and orange. The stunning view could get easy to get used to. How did he get involved in this again?

Chloe had on a black designer bikini with tiny gold beads-doubtless a Lucifer gift-but she kept messing with the strings as if she were about to pull a 'Lucifer' and shed it. Also, it turns out there are such things as designer bikinis. _And fuck if she didn't still look like she did on their honeymoon. Yay for concealing spa bubbles._

The dregs of her second glass of wine slid down her throat. She gestured with the empty vessel. "You would think now that we _know_ , he'd clue us in on whatever the hell this is." The end of her ponytail trailed in the water, a few strands sticking to her neck.

Dan sipped on his first glass, but kept it out of Chloe's grabby fingers. "Maze is demon-hunting. It's a little out of the jurisdiction of the LAPD. I mean, I guess I can hope Pierce goes after her." _and dies,_ 'But we don't want our own co-workers going after her, right?"

She eyed his glass. "Yeah, no, you're right. But, there's one missing _demon_ on the loose. That we know about. How often does this happen? My mother was in a movie in the 80's _about demons_ , Dan."

"I remember you showing me most of her films. I'm not sure I could pick that one out of a line-up, though."

"What if it was a true story? They put that line, 'Based on a true story' in front of movies _all the time._ How many of those aren't lies? Oh my God. You know how John Travolta is like, in nine movies about angels? I _hate_ John Travolta. What if he's an angel too?"

"I'm sure he's not." _I hope he's not._

"Ugh. At least we know Al Pacino isn't Satan."

Dan cradled his glass, sinking a little into the water. "Does he have a favorite, uhm, 'Satan'?"

"Probably. I either wasn't paying attention because I thought he was making it up at the time or something."

"Or something?"

"I might have been staring at his pants at the time. _Which,_ by the way, are not pants in England. They're trousers." She was doing that angry nod thing again, pointing a finger in the general direction of the piano. " _And he's not even British._ "

Chloe lunged for Dan's wine glass. He held it away and she wound up draped over his chest, waving an arm ineffectually at his held-out grip with her knees far too close to his groin. He suddenly felt like he'd made a mistake keeping the glass from her. "Okay, Chlo', there's a reason you have to get up and go back to the bar for a refill."

She purred into his neck, adjusting her body, "You could go for me."

 _Damn, she's still a lightweigh_ t. "Sure, but what do I get out of it by getting up? I at least get to look at your ass when you go for a refill." Dan leaned away, angling to protect his drink and gulping down the rest of it.

When he turned back, she straddled his lap, settling her knees on the seating. And now she was sitting against his half-mast. Her eyes widened and she smiled.

He swallowed. "'Chlo?"

"You know how we never had break up sex?"

"Is that a thing?"

Chloe kissed him. She grabbed at strings on her suit, one-handed, throwing her other hand behind his head. He had about three seconds of enjoying the spontaneous kiss before remembering where he was and how much she'd had to drink on an empty stomach.

He pulled back. "Hey. Not that I'm not appreciating the view, but maybe we should wait until Lucifer gets back and you're a little less tipsy?"

" _God_."

"Wrong deity. Am I interrupting?" Lucifer himself appeared, a bemused, and thankfully not jealous, expression on his face.

Chloe rose up on her knees, giving Dan a close view of her dripping, clinging outfit. She jabbed a finger at him. "You're interrupting my sanity. Where have you been since whenever it was?"

Dan turned, looking back and up. "Help?"

"Whatever for?"

Lucifer relented at Dan's quiet desperation, kicking off his shoes and pulling off his socks.

Dan was adorable when he got panicky.

"You are in _my_ tub. Might as well join the party." Lucifer slipped off his jacket. Chloe propped her arms up on Dan's shoulders, deliberately or accidentally forgetting where she was, her breasts quite close to his face.

Clothes were quickly discarded. Lucifer dropped himself, naked, next to Dan, who was performing an impressive example of a deer in headlights.

Chloe leaned over to kiss him. Lucifer wrinkled his nose, holding up a finger. "You're drunk, detective."

"Am not." Her hand sipped on the plastic surface of the bench and she dunked herself, sending waves splashing over the edge of the hot tub. She came up sputtering with a gasp, hair plastered to her face. Chloe glared, sitting herself opposite with a huff. "'S your fault anyway."

Lucifer cocked his head, bird-like. "How so?"

"You aren't even British!"

He blinked. "Well, no. Is that a problem?"

 _Danger, Will Robinson._ Dan stood, moving to block her line of sight. "Hey, Chlo' how about we get you out of the tub before you drink the whole thing?"

Lucifer's hand slid up his thigh.

 _Jesus Christ._ Dan ignored him - for now - "C'mon."

She sighed dramatically, but stood. Lucifer, finally noticing how drunk she was, climbed back up with a put-upon groan. The Devil didn't miss the opportunity to squeeze Dan's ass, moving to pick up Chloe. She made a face but threw her arms around his neck anyway. Sure-footed, he stepped out, depositing her on a pool chair. "How are you feeling, love?"

Dan picked up a towel on his own way out, offering it to Chloe. She grunted, scrubbing her hair with it. "'M hungry." Angry/horny/peckish appeared to be somewhat related in Chloe's drunk brain, as she eyed his nude hips.

Not that they weren't nice to look at.

Lucifer cocked an eyebrow. "If it's for sex, my dear, you have to wait until you're at least a _bit_ more sober."

"But you're my boyfriend Devil." She pouted.

"And I still will be in an hour or so. Until then, well, _one_ of you is coherent." He threw a lascivious look back at Dan.

She perked up. "Oh! Do Dan!"

"Quite." He kissed her forehead. "Would you like to change?"

She looked down at her bikini for several seconds longer than the choice required. "Yup."

* * *

Chloe, just in a towel now, dropped off into a boozy nap in a nearby chair. She had looked interested in a show until the rest of the wine caught up with her.

Dan's self-consciousness ended with Lucifer's warm hands on his hips, tugging at the cold, wet, clinging trunks.

Wide, warm, eager lips played with his neck as if for the first time all over again. Dan felt the smile in them, heat and breath below his ear, teasing his pulse point on his neck. The trunks made a wet slap on the floor by the bed.

 _God. No wonder like 80 people came into the precinct that time. Jesus._

Lucifer didn't just enjoy sex. He ate it, breathed it.

Shared it.

Long fingers snaked their way under his ass, gripping him tight,, pressing them together, hard and hot against each other between their hips.

Somehow he was on his back, breathing hard, grasping Lucifer's neck and lower back. At some point, he'd stopped defining Lucifer as 'male' to avoid any mental speed bumps on his side and just jumped to 'holy shit that feels good'.

Lucifer kneed his thighs apart and _ground_ his needy erection into his. Dan reached blindly in the general direction of the lube drawer. "Fuck."

Lucifer pushed up on his hands, framing Dan with lean arms and spread fingers. "Mmmm. Fuck _what_? Interested in something different?"

Dan spared a glance down their bodies where skin met in shadows. Lucifer moved, giving Dan a better view, releasing pressure. A low noise of want crawled out of his throat.

The Devil smiled. "I promise you'll enjoy having me in you. Takes a bit of workup for a _virgin_ , though."

Dan traced ribs above him. "It's weird? At first?"

Lucifer descended, playing his cock under Dan, experimentally dragging it lower. And lower.

He felt himself tighten.

Around a deep kiss, between breaths, Lucifer's voice dropped. "You do want it, don't you? I can do lovely things, you know." Lucifer held himself up with one hand, snaking the other to join under Dan.

Dan swallowed. "Slow, right?"

"Daniel, may I use my devilish lips on you?"

"On my…?"

"Trust me."

 _Well, he hasn't lied about anything else up until now._ "...Okay, for now."

Lucifer smiled like he had permission to raid a candy shop. "Splendid. Ankles up."

"Huh?"

Lucifer barely did him the courtesy of licking his dick before mouthing over his balls and sliding...lower.

Dan inartfully arranged his knees as a hot, wet tongue explored places he didn't think he'd ever consider _sexual_. He didn't relax until it became clear Lucifer was taking his time, not _pushing._ Dan let his jaw release tension he didn't know he was holding.

Lucifer propped Dan's hips up a little further, prodding gently, but not intruding.

The sensation was unexpected.

Obviously any number of people liked having things inserted in various places, but Dan never quite got _why_.

He felt like that might change.

Maybe.

It was still just mostly wet and _\- oh, there's a finger._

Outside of the occasional prostate exam, which were _not_ pleasant, Dan hadn't had anything going the other direction before now.

Lucifer waited, teasing Dan's perineum with his tongue, just barely pressing a fingertip in, then away, then a light rimming with two fingers.

Dan tensed with each addition until he didn't. He was aware of a drawer opening and closing, a pop of a cap. Lucifer returned his mouth lower while he did something else with a bottle.

He felt warm lips being dragged up his dick,scruff prickling pleasantly, bringing up goosebumps and shivers. He wanted to touch _something_. Only Lucifer's legs were within reach, so he smoothed his hands over warm skin and hard muscle.

Lube coated fingers found that place again. Lucifer leaned up on his knees, hard cock erect, one hand on Dan's knee, the other carefully applying pressure. "Tell me, Daniel, do you want me to ride you? Make me come in you as you've done me?"

Dan gripped sheets. "God yes."

"Oh come now. If I don't break you of that habit soon, I'll have to dole out appropriate punishments for it. _Corporal_ , of course ," The fingertip had pressed in past the knuckle without Dan realizing it. A second finger, just outside, found a lower pulse point he didn't know he had.

He tried to relax. "Sorry."

"I do hope you find something better to call out when I'm buried in you to my balls."

Dan inhaled, his cock twitching in the suddenly too cold air on his overheated body, and his ass pulled on Lucifer's single digit of its own accord.

"See? Your body has the right idea." Lucifer picked up a little more lube, grasping Dan's hardness with his free, slick, hand. It was suddenly much easier to associate pleasure with what was going on lower. The second fingertip eased past to join the first, "before long, you'll be able to take me nearly straight away."

 _Jesus. God. Lucifer. Fuck._

Dan groaned and fell back, tension ebbing and flowing down his body, overly aware of the cooling liquids that slid back his ass and dripped off his body. "Are you going to fuck me at some point tonight or just _talk_ me to death?"

"Oh, you won't be able to move before morning, certainly. But you aren't quite ready for me. I'm larger than _this._ And I won't have you ruined for it."

Lucifer edged the end of his dick near the fingers, and Dan could easily feel the difference.

The Devil slowly pumped his two inserted digits, curling them slightly. _Shit, he was right._ The slipping back and forth made a whole new sensation, one that was _slightly_ panic inducing, since _nothing_ was supposed to come out of his ass while lying down. Or really, anywhere other than a bathroom.

Lucifer distracted Dan with a firm grasp around his cock, reminding his body this was a _good thing._ Dan dry swallowed, letting Lucifer lead again, trusting him. Returning to full hardness that had waned a little just then.

Lucifer purred. "There we are. Better?"

He nodded. _It_ was _better._ Edging back into 'enjoyable'.

Lucifer let a few more moments and motions go before he lined up again. "Ideally, we end up with your legs resting on my shoulders, but I doubt we want to do that much our first go, alright?" He carefully withdrew this fingers, replacing them with his tip just pressing _there._ New heat rushed in, flooding up his chest.

 _Christ. Whatever._

Chloe apparently spurred herself out of her doze - some weight dipped into the end of the mattress. She had dropped her towel, loose blonde hair clinging to and around her breasts. She was just at the end, knees on the floor, one hand hidden from view below the edge of the bed but making suggestive motions.

Dan realized he was tense again. Lucifer rested patiently, waiting for something in Dan's face.

Unhurried.

Nonjudgmental.

Dan looked up into Lucifer's patient dark eyes and something unwound. Something slipped in, resting on his fast pulse pressing around him. Lucifer bent down to kiss his neck, the motion making him flex gently. He balanced in complete control, a firm hand distracting from discomfort below with smooth strokes. The long, lean body arched over him, protective.

Dan attempted to pull at the man over him to draw him in, but Lucifer resisted, rock-solid. "You're doing _very_ well, Detective, but I'm not entirely hard. One of the many perks of being _me._ Complete muscle control." He emphasized the last three words with proof, his cock throbbing in Dan's entrance,

 _Fucking hell._

He felt each expansion intimately, in every sense of the word.

Lucifer inched in, a little past the throbbing. Dan tried to lean up, but lips evaded him. He grumbled, but Lucifer pulled back. "You don't want my mouth on yours right now, trust me." He applied it elsewhere though.

Dan's attention wavered between the things happening to him, under Lucifer's careful ministrations. The heat of devilish hips slipped closer, trying a slight rocking motion. Dan _groaned_ against the playful lips on his neck, lost.

Lucifer's thumb and fingers chased across his tip, his grip gaining purposeful strokes.

" _Lucifer."_

"Mmmmmmm, yes, darling?"

Dan's breath hitched, feeling the deep rumble of words and vocal chords on his neck. Lucifer's prickly scruff rubbed at an ear and Dan gripped short black curls. " _Fuck me._ "

Lucifer growled low. "Keep doing that."

Wordlessly, Dan tangled his fingers into the mess of Lucifer's hair escaping the strict routine of product, pulling in a way he worried would hurt. The Devil just sucked hard on his neck, a low, pleased, sound curling out of him that thrummed all the way down his body.

Lucifer bit his shoulder, pulling himself up Dan's body, hips finally meeting hips. He held himself there for a moment, giving Dan a second or two longer to get used to the fullness.

Dan felt sweat stand out on him, between them.

He was close.

Lucifer rocked against him. He heard _something_ happen next to him, with a British, "why, how thoughtful!" Wet sounds, a kiss and Lucifer bent back down, finding Dan's face with cleaned lips and that wicked grin.

This was much better.

He was gone. Everything was motion and sweat and deep, deep beating pulses that echoed from tongue to ass.

 _Jesus. No wonder he liked this._

The imagery of the penthouse mid-orgy suddenly became more clear.

 _Fuck._

Lucifer leaned up, stroking him until pressure and tightness clenched deep in his core, escaping and spilling over the sliding grip. The Devil adjusted his hips, just slightly, and his cock found Dan's prostate, shocking him into an unexpected, extended orgasm.

Hips slowed and Lucifer, still hard, pulled back a bit. Dan held him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"You feeling up for me finishing, then?" He let Dan pull him back down, settling his weight. "Tell me if you decide you're not?" Liquids pooled between them, sticky and hot.

"Shut up."

Lucifer did that full body rumble thing again, scratching Dan's neck with his face. Both hands free, he slid them behind Dan's neck and head, body, and hips contracting with each short thrust. Dan gripped hair again, threading and knotting, his muscles tensed tight,

The Devil came, with a low, lusty, " _Daniel."_ And hot release.


	19. Oh Hell yes

Dan lay in Lucifer's crumpled sheets, physically unable to move, body humming, covered in sweat and other bodily fluids he never imagined he'd be okay with stewing in. More than okay with, honestly. _Jesus_.

The screaming prostate orgasm on top of the hand job left him aching and raw, sure every drop of available semen has been expelled from his reservoir. How had he gone his entire life thus far without this?

 _Ass play. Who knew?_

 _Apparently gay men everywhere. Also apparently, I need to go buy a fucking dildo. Soon. Lucifer could probably help with that._

He always had the preconception anal was about submission and domination, but that wasn't it at all. Lucifer got off, sure, but he didn't just _take_ him. Lucifer led him.

Lucifer leaned over him like a living tower, breathing hard, wet heat connecting them. He held off withdrawal, a spread-fingered hand resting warmly on Dan's taut abs, cock quite hard and throbbing with residual contractions. Evidence of mutual satisfaction started to cool under him. A smile of open enjoyment played across his lips at Dan's reactions.

 _Fuck, he's beautiful._

Dan remembered to breathe again, pulling in a shuddering breath. Gentle lips met his unexpectedly, startling him out of his release induced reverie. Soft dark eyes filled his vision. Fingers threaded through his hair. "Still alright?" His voice held a light mixture of hopefulness and concern for Dan.

Dan willed his hands to respond, but they barely twitched. Lucifer smiled against his face, kissing his cheek, breathing and hot next to his ear. "I'll take that as a yes. When I pull out, it's going to feel...rather...unsexy the first time. After a few times, it's much easier to adapt to."

His brain hitched, blanking. "Um?"

He moved just a little, so Dan could feel it. "It'll feel like a greater amount of liquid than is actually present - it's only lube and ejaculate, nothing scary. You might also feel 'open', but it will pass, and you aren't. The air I fucked into you might take time to work its way out, don't fret." He patted Dan's thigh reassuringly.

 _After that orgasm, how bad could it be?_ Dan thought he nodded.

Lucifer pushed back up and slowly extracted himself.

 _Yikes. A lot of yikes. 'Unsexy' is definitely the right word for both the sound and squishy feeling._ He needs to clean up, as soon as he's able to move again. _But fuck if wasn't worth it._

Lucifer's lovely backside departed for the bathroom. He came back and tossed a damp hand towel at Dan - not that Dan was currently capable of employing it. Lucifer bent and whispered something into Chloe's ear. She smiled in an echo of his cheshire grin, biting her lower lip. Dan's abs tightened. _What did he say to her?_ He left again and the shower ran.

He found out when she crawled up Dan's body from the end of the bed, with dragging lips and tongue and breasts slipping over hollows and peaks, skipping his overly sensitized cock. The damp cloth smoothed over his belly, wiping up most of his mess. She licked the skin on his stomach where sweat and cum had mingled. Her pink tongue drew swirls and circles up his damp chest, small bites on his nipples, eventually moving up and meeting his lips without reservation.

She rested her bare hips on his briefly, gathering her legs under her, while avoiding direct pressure on his sensitized shaft. Chloe kissed him, deeper and deeper, her hand tangling in his hair where Lucifer's had been moments ago. Her tongue sought his, warm and wet and soft. He could taste hints of himself and Lucifer's sweat. Her entire body contrasted Lucifers in every way possible, long golden hair and smooth face. She smelled faintly of wine and flowers.

His dick made a valiant rallying effort, but what Lucifer had done to him was debilitating. The spirit was more than willing though he couldn't make his body respond. Dan couldn't even make his shoulders do more than twitch. She set her hands against his chest, bracing against him.

His mouth still worked. He swallowed, dry.

She drew up, her knees spread, naked and glistening and ready, looking down with hooded blue eyes.

She asked a question, he nodded, the only motion he was currently capable of, and she moved her grip to the headboard, lowering her hips, watching him from between her breasts, breath held in in anticipation. He licked his lips, tasting her kiss.

When she edged close enough, he tasted her intimately for the first time in years, through short-trimmed hair. She tasted of chlorine, though not enough to distract from her natural flavors. Dan edged his wet tongue on the outside of her, forward and back, staying light, pulling against and with the grain. He kissed her mons, inhaling her scent.

Chloe whimpered. For him.

She dipped and he pulled back his tongue, using just his lips, capturing her edges and pulling lightly. Somehow he willed his arms to work again, hands supporting her. Dan lingered, resisting the urge to immediately lavish her deeply. He pressed in his nose first, riding up, just starting to suck her arousal.

Dan jumped a little when Lucifer's fingers trailed up the inside of his ankle, dragging up his calf and knee. Dan twitched and hummed into Chloe. Her breath caught in a gasp when he pulled her down, tongue seeking her responses. A gasped _oh!_ escaped her parted lips. She edged her hips closer again, her fingers spreading herself.

Lucifer made a sound of pure pleasure, settling his hips next to them, hands slipping from him to her, up her body to cup her breasts from behind. Devilish lips found her neck and she leaned back a little. His perfectly functioning hands and fingers teased her nipples.

Dan, suddenly feeling a little competitive, redoubled his own efforts, holding his breath and cleaving her. Her pulse throbbed on his tongue and her scent and wetness ran down his throat. He drank her.

Chloe _moaned._ The hand in his hair gripped painfully but he didn't feel all that much like stopping her.

Lucifer grinned against her neck. One hand let go with a generous pinch, slipping lower. Chloe bent to watch long fingers glide down her torso to pelvis, to simply rest one on her clit, through her own spread fingers. Breathless noises fell from her throat. She looked down at Dan, sighed and straightened, dropping completely into Lucifer and allowing them to support her.

Lucifer added another digit, dipping further and curling his fingers inward. Low enough for Dan to lick them. So he did, chasing them into her. She made a higher pitched noise and shifted her hips, wanting depth. Dan could only give her so much with just his mouth, so he swapped, pressing tongue to clit with wet flicks and pressure.

Lucifer easily adjusted, withdrawing wetly coated fingers only long enough to enter her from behind. Dan pushed back, licking Lucifer's knuckles. His tongue encountered Lucifer's ring, so he did the logical thing and kissed it, moving on and into her between fingers and her walls then back up again to her want. Lucifer purred.

Chloe closed her eyes, head back, mouthing Lucifer's neck, moving minutely, breathing harder.

A move Dan wasn't expecting happened in the form of Lucifer's left hand snaking up to her throat. She didn't protest, a stream of small noises escaping her and she shivered, moving with him. This was something they'd done before.

Lucifer gently clasped her windpipe, not enough to actually cut off her air, just enough to make her breathing shallow. He kissed her, walking his lips to her mouth, blushing her lips with growing pressure and deepness. She hummed into his face, breathing only through him.

Chloe's pelvis clenched, contracting. His busy fingers moved within her. Dan coaxed her further and further, spiraling her. She closed in on her peak. Her first of a few if Dan had any say in it. Fingers pulled back, slowing in rhythm. Dan took the hint, moving off, just mouthing her.

She groaned, smacking Dan lightly, muttering non-words.

When Lucifer pumped again, Dan returned to her pulse, finding and tasting and sucking her. They repeated it.

She perched on the precipice, wound up and tight. Her clit hard and needy. He breathed deeply, held his breath, hummed and shoved her over her edge.

When she came, she did it with Dan's name in her throat, her lips tight on Lucifer's. He let her throat go.

Lucifer did something with his knuckles, triggering a deep internal orgasm in concert with a clitoral.

She screamed, loud enough to startle Dan. Her orgasm came tumbling and wet over slick fingers and over Dan's face.

Dan kept at her, licking her clit until she tapped his forehead, asking him to stop. He had forgotten about that. It was something she did early in their relationship, when it got too intense. He stopped, slipping his tongue back down, off her shaky, twitching nerves. Lucifer stilled his fingers.

Dan risked a glance up. She lay limp, pulse throbbing, pounding through her center. Aftershocks clamped down in waves.

He tried an experimental lick on her sensitive apex. She breathed in sharply, but didn't tap him again. Lucifer grinned into her neck, curling his fingers again, slowly. She reacted, coming a second time, pulsing hard on Dan's lips and releasing more incoherent sounds.

Hands touched his face and threaded through his short, sweaty hair. He couldn't suppress a chuckle.

Chloe cracked one eye at him, still coming down. "What's so funny?"

He lifted her enough to speak. "I need a shower and I'm still not sure I can get up."

She touched his face. "What makes you think you're done?"

Lucifer laughed, body vibrating.

Between them, she climaxed twice more. When Dan ran out of breath and his mouth cramped, Lucifer gently shoved her over, taking her missionary style, and fuck if it wasn't hot watching them. Her nearly spent state left her glowing under him. He held her, rocking into her until she came again, slender legs tightly wrapped around his hips, deeply, beginning to yell another name, but it caught in her throat in a jumble of syllables.

Lucifer kissed her, still smiling. His second peak came and went, in her.

—-

Dan needed an apartment with a 50% bathroom ratio if for no other reason than huge bathrooms are _amazing_. The dark tub must be large enough to accommodate his host's wings. Presently, it accommodated a very content Dan who decided being a Devil worshipper/maybe-boyfriend wasn't so bad after all.

Not that Lucifer wanted or asked for worship.

Or ever would. Probably.

The hot water was easy to sink into. It swirled around him, full of mineral salts and lavender. He really didn't give a shit that he may show up to work in the morning smelling like flowers. Or in Lucifer's clothes. Again.

Thank God he didn't own any pets. He hadn't been back to his apartment in days.

Chloe stepped out of the still steaming shower, pressing a towel into her long blonde hair. "That looks fun. Can I join you?"

"You think you have to ask?"

She slipped over the side, scooting up, her knees out of the water. "Lucifer is rubbing off on me."

"I think he's _rubbing off_ on both of us."

Chloe smacked him. "I'm sorry about earlier."

"You absolutely do not need to apologize."

"I get angry when I'm at a certain level of… well, drunk. I know I do. _You_ know I do."

He shrugged. "You have some stuff to get out of your system. It's not like you have a normal dating life."

"I thought I did. I mean, weird, but _normal_."

"The tub is nice."

"God. Tub. The penthouse. Do you know what the property value on this place is? I do, because I helped him keep the damn thing by getting it declared 'historical'. Even if he wasn't _Lucifer,_ it couldn't be 'normal'." She leaned on him, the move not sexual despite the situation. "But he is. And I'm not letting myself think about it too hard."

"Give yourself a break. It's a lot to process."

"You seem okay."

" I _am_ okay."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "You always did make a pretty good rock."

"I'm just here because you asked. And because it sounded like fun."

"Are you really okay?"

Dan breathed into her damp hair. "I mean, mostly? I keep wondering if this is a long weekend fling or if you actually want me to stay. We didn't talk about boundaries."

"I'm glad I have you to talk to. Now I know _why_ Lucifer is so difficult to deal with sometimes." She rolled her blue eyes up at him, getting more comfortable. She pulled her hair back to keep it out of the water. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about our future together…"

Dan worked an arm behind her back, holding her. They could have been sitting on a park bench, not naked together in a bathtub. "Something on your mind?"

Chloe snuggled against him, spent. "Do you like doing this?"

His ex-wife naked with him in the Devil's bathtub? Surreal - yes. Fun - Good lord, yes. Repeatable?

He sighed, kissing her head. This was hard. "I just don't want to be your backup plan."

"Hmm?"

"If you decide you can't deal with Lucifer...being Lucifer. I can be a third wheel for now, but I can't just put my personal life on hold forever."

She blinked. "You aren't. I mean, the sex is amazing, but you've been really great over the last few days too. Yeah, it started as a fling. I don't want you to feel like you're being used - Lucifer's sex drive is…well, hard to keep up with. The first month we were together and I got my period, I thought he was going to crawl out of his skin. I only had to tell him once there would be no sex, but he can be super passive-aggressive when he wants to be."

" _Lucifer?_ Passive-aggressive? _Nooooooooooooo._ "

She smirked.

"Another advantage to asking another dude, then." Dan snagged a cloth on the side of the tub, wetting it. "If I thought you were _using_ me, I wouldn't have agreed. Hell, if you weren't my ex, I wouldn't have considered it either. You weren't wrong for asking someone you already knew well. I can't imagine _you_ asking a total stranger." He scrubbed her shoulders with the cloth. "Heck, if the shoe were on the other foot, I'd probably ask you eventually, too. I've never thought of him as a one-person partner."

"Maybe we should all do a date? Is a three-person date a thing?"

"You'd be willing to do that? I know how Lucifer feels about sharing, but I didn't think you would be okay with it. A date is a little more serious." _Than hard-core sex._

"Is it weird to think we might still have been together if we just worked a little harder?"

"It's not weird." _Rose-tinted glasses._ "But there were good reasons we separated. I had a lot of problems that seemed insurmountable at the time, but at least we never cheated on each other."

She smiled. "You're sure about that, huh?"

"Sometimes your biggest flaw is your labrador-like loyalty. I think even Lucifer wouldn't have had a shot if we were still married."

"Oh?"

"Well, _you_ wouldn't have cheated. You're immune to his power thing."

"I forgot about that. Do you feel much different? If you think you're being pushed into this…"

Dan shook his head. "Nah, he hasn't done that to me since that one time, and it wasn't for sex. He can be just hanging around and it feels normal, like us 'humans'. He really is just that good in bed. He has 'fun' with sex like no one I've ever been with. No offense."

"I thought you said you succumbed to his sex-god powers."

"Well…he didn't _actually_ use his power thing on me to get me up here. But he does have sex-god powers. And by sex-god powers, I mean a mouth that could suck-start a volkswagen."

She snorted into her hand, covering her face. "Oh, my God."

"Wrong deity." He squeezed her side. "How about a movie with the three of us? Trixie can even come."

"Shoot. Do you think she'll be okay with this? As a…date thing? Do we tell her that's what it is?"

"Lucifer would be the first to tell you we aren't in the dark ages anymore. Trixie has a bunch of friends at school with all kinds of parents. Her teachers won't be thrilled, but teachers never are."

"Speaking of dark ages - and letting go of certain ideas - how are you doing?"

"Er?"

"That was new for you right?" She grinned, poking him. "Virgin?"

Dan blushed. "I hadn't thought about it that way at all before Lucifer said it. But, uh. Would recommend, yes. Both ways. I never had a prostate orgasm before, but I'd heard of them. It was _really_ intense. I'd really like to do that for him, but I don't know how yet."

"Is _doing_ Lucifer as much fun as it sounds? Do you think that can happen with...uh...toys?"

"Very much yes. When the Devil is right about something, well, he's right. Getting the pressure right is a little tricky, since you don't really _want_ friction. And the second part might require some internet research."

"He probably has his porn organized from 'most to least plausible', so we can probably find something related."

Dan sank a little into the tub. "After the water cools."


	20. Lucifer Sandwich

Chloe pulled a 'Lucifer.'

She slowly woke up pressed to a warm, naked body, facing a broad, muscled chest. She wasn't sure which lover she cuddled in the pre-dawn. His arm curled up under his pillow, softly breathing over her head. The other arm folded over her middle, lying over and past her limp and heavy on her ribs.

It was a little exciting to wake up this way.

She took some time to luxuriate in his scent. Her sense of smell told her who it was, but she pretended she wasn't sure. It was more fun this way. She pulled up the sheet to her shoulder, trying to settle again. Her hand clenched a little, encountering more hot bare skin.

Mmmmmm.

The early morning light didn't let her make out skin tone, whether it was the paler coloring of her Devil or the darker tan of her ex-husband. She snuggled her head up carefully into a jawline and her hair caught on scruff. Dan didn't grow facial hair. She pressed her face into him, smelling him. He had a natural scent that differed from Dan, still male but with a unique warmth that was his. It wasn't something she'd paid attention to until after dating a few guys, but all men were a little different, with unique characteristics.

The long arm tightened around her, holding her close, their bodies almost uncomfortably warm. Almost.

Sleepily, her hands slid along his backside, tracing up long, lean muscle and smooth skin. Her fingers bumped into feathers and the anchoring flesh. Absurdly soft, short feathers bridged the connection from skin to wing. She blinked, peering up. Lucifer still slept, breathing deep and easily. One white feathered arch spanned back and over the side of the bed, draped limply. She reached further under it, between the wings, encountering another warm body.

Chloe pulled up enough to peer over Lucifer's shoulder. Dan lay curled in the opposite direction, having pulled the fully open wing up over his shoulder, his sleep brain mistaking it for a very heavy blanket. Tufts of fluff brushed against his cheekbone, moving lightly with his breath. The other wing lay folded up, resting under the first, the waves and bulges vaguely outlining the tucked wing and Dan on his side. She wondered if she could convince Lucifer to sleep on his stomach so they could each get one.

She mulled over what they talked about last night in her head.

How could she consider denying Dan this aspect of whatever this was now? Mind-blowing sex aside - and she had no intention of kidding herself that achieving her five orgasms between them wasn't earth-shattering - What she requested on a whim seemed almost perfect. She lightly touched Dan's waist, Lucifer's lean form making it easy to reach. Dan didn't budge.

If she'd fallen asleep between them, she would have roasted to death.

Her ex slept relaxed, his face slack in sleep. She probably needed to stop thinking of him as 'her ex'. Could she go back to keeping Lucifer all to herself again? After waking up like this, could she deny Dan a future wing blanket? She could see asking for space with Lucifer from time to time, but could the date thing work?

Lucifer would certainly enjoy having a ready and willing partner when she didn't feel like putting out during her god-awful periods. Even ass play didn't sound appealing when she spent days medicated and crampy.

But then there are partners and _partners._

With this revelation though, there could be no one else she'd trust. When the concept was simply 'wear him out,' there were a few people who could have worked, maybe. Well. _Be_ _fore_ she found out his refractory period was actually due to celestial status, and no number of people would actually be 'enough'. He did try to tell her he didn't need anyone else, and he didn't outright lie about 'wants vs needs', nor would she want him too. If she had invited someone more random, she'd be insecure. She didn't know if she'd be jealous, but Lucifer clearly wasn't. He reveled in her multiple crashing peaks, her enjoyment of sex. He probably already plotted ways to give her more between them.

Not that he _needed_ the help. But damn if he wasn't right about how much fun multiple multiple partners were. _Between them._ Dan had done _wonderful_ things to her needy sex, barely nervous at eating her out in front of Lucifer, or at least not showing it. She wanted it and he basked in her desire fulfilled. She didn't know if Dan had more recent practice or if her brain just mis-remembered how damn good he was. His attention to...detail. He had _years_ of intimate experience with her, fiery and consuming at first, tapering off later.

Their first night together happened after a night in a bar, frantic and hot. He made her waffles in the morning, standing bare chested in the small kitchen, making her roommate jealous. She knew then she was going to keep him. She didn't know it wouldn't be forever one way or another.

At the same time, if Lucifer wasn't who he was, she would very much question his enthusiasm at witnessing her fall apart over Dan, his face slick and rashed with her need.

The real secret to his sexual stamina being that he was actually _Lucifer_ didn't make the problem of exhausting him go away, but it did make it more interesting. She might need a spreadsheet.

She snorted to herself, now fully awake. Her hand stroked Dan's hip, naked and hot under her fingers. She resisted the urge to turn over, kissing Lucifer's neck lightly instead. He shifted, not yet awake, wide, spread fingers moving up to her butt.

She still didn't know what it all _meant._ Right now, it meant he wanted to be with her. Outside of that? The question was much easier to avoid when the Divine didn't rest in your arms, holding you tight.

The Divine had a very _nice_ ass.

Chloe slipped her touch from Dan to Divine butt, feeling his muscular curves. She found the little divot at the top of his ass, where it became hips and backbone. Light, electric feedback teased her fingertips, real or imagined. Moving up, she couldn't resist stroking the small soft feathers, smoothing them gently. He purred in his sleep like a giant house cat, left arm fully enclosing her. She thought about the scars he used to have. About Dan thinking Lucifer could be an alien instead of an angel.

She thought about the fact Trixie didn't act surprised. An innocent child had no fear of him, or the great white wings.

The alarm had been set but hadn't gone off yet. The sky was still mostly dark. They probably had a few hours yet before work. She was sleepy but not wanting to go back to sleep, Lucifer's breath in her hair. The false-light of pre-dawn always felt magical. If she went to sleep again, she'd wake up and have to get ready for work. She watched the slow rise and fall of his chest instead, pretending time wasn't passing. Staying in this moment suspended in time, trying to will her breaths so they were opposite his and starting to fall asleep again because his were much slower than her wakeful breathing.

His mouth worked in his sleep, his soft lips tasting her forehead before settling down again, long hard movements against her body that did things to her ovaries even in his sleep.

The man in a full three-piece _suit_ did things to her ovaries. Nude and in his arms, the battle was lost before it even began.

Chloe finally turned over, shifting arms under her pillow and pressing her butt up against Lucifer's hips and- oh. The Devil groaned, hard and hot against her ass. His hand on her waist moved to cup her breast, thumbing across her nipple with a light brushing pinch. She found herself responsive, flexing and stretching along every part she could touch.

With a muffled flutter and a slight jerk, she knew the wings had been tucked back away. She felt Lucifers quick wince as Dan grumbled in half-sleep at his loss of feather blanket. He must have been hanging onto it when Lucifer withdrew them from grabby hands. Dan sought a new heat source, promptly flopping over and big-spooned Lucifer, wrapping an arm around his waist, a few fingers coming to rest on Chloe. Lucifer hissed low, waking up further and moving in response to something-

Oh. Dan must have morning wood too. She recalled a fun morning or two much like this one, minus a third party. Chloe's heartbeat picked up. Lucifer smiled against the back of her neck, reaching up to pull her hair away from her face and draping it back over her pillow. He smelled her hair, kissing up from her neck to behind her ear, making her shiver. She tilted her head and arched a little toward him. Lightly wet, his tongue dragged in her ear crease, heating breath sweet even in the morning. His hand squeezed her breast a little more firmly, trailing lower down her stomach. She sighed into him.

Dan reached between them, sleepily tucking his hand low on Lucifer's waist, over his abdomen and lower. She heard his breath quicken, Dan's knuckles brushing her ass and finding a hard cock in the way. He made another noise that shot straight to her groin, wrestling his free hand between them to grip Lucifer properly. She felt the back of his hand flex, Lucifer's tip at her ass crack. The bed shifted some, Dan moving the full length of his body against their Lucifer sandwich.

 _So much for sleep._

She heard rather than saw Dan's lips on Lucifer's neck. She stretched her body, dragging her toes on his shin, relishing the feeling of his sparse happy trail on her lower back, his chest resting against her shoulders, sleep-warm and lightly sticky from her own overnight sweat.

Lucifer rocked against her, from Dan's urging hips. He moaned delightfully, adding, "Good morning to you too, detectives." His lusty, sleep filled voice, already normally sexy, dove to her groin and took up residence.

Chloe twisted in place, reaching to peck him on the lips, scooting up a few inches. Her wiggling made a little space for Dan to explore in. She smiled into the kiss, not quite on her back, touching his face. "Good morning, _consultant."_ She joined her hand to grip above Dan's, fist to fist. Her smaller hand covered the rest of his eager length, thumb sweeping his tip, pulling another happy sound from him. Lucifer's hips moved again and he broke the kiss with a growl. He twisted enough in place to kiss Dan, who returned it with mounting appreciation. Chloe kissed his collarbone, sweeping her tongue in to taste him and his tangy night sweat. Lucifer moved his hand from her to Dan's bare hips, then fondling his length in turn. Dan reached under Lucifer's pillow to lightly touch her neck. She shivered pleasantly. Lucifer's voice dropped low and commanding. "If you aren't planning on doing something with that, _Detective,_ you better have a bucket of ice hiding somewhere close by.."

Dan's agreement came muffled against Lucifer's lips. The bed moved threw off the sheets, kicking them off the bed. Dan leaned away, stretching for something. She peeked back, clenching her thighs when Dan managed to snag the lube, squinting a good amount on his fingers. He bit his lip a little at whatever he saw in Chloe's face and hesitated a second.

She smiled. "This is my 'oh my Devil, please fuck him' face."

Dan moved quickly, slathering himself. Lucifer lifted his leg, reaching back to help out. Judging by the blissful expression on Dan's face, it involved helping distribute the lube. Lucifer kissed him again, letting go and returning some lube to his own thickly hard erection.

Chloe wet her lips, helpfully urging her ass against him. Lucifer chuckled. "You have to go to work soon. Trust me when I tell you first time anal _right_ before your shift probably won't be fun for you later."

"How about you play with my ass a little and just fuck me?"

Lucifer slid a lubed finger behind her as instructed. Without warning, he gasped hard, tensing up from head to toe.

Dan stopped, his hips in line with Lucifer's and a finger or two halted in motion. "Are, uh, you okay?"

"We haven't...fucked _me_ with Chloe present. I wasn't expecting it to... _sting._ Or be so.. _cold."_

"Do you want me to stop?" He looked and sounded concerned and Chloe had to smile a little at his worry over hurting him. Was this really the first time he'd had _something_ in his ass with her around?

"Dear...whatever, no. I'm not used to telling anyone to go slow on _me._ You're lovely, Daniel. I'm used to this, just not... _this._ "

"Sure." Dan shifted his hips away a little, working with only his fingers, a guilty expression on his face, and moved _slowly_. "Tell me if you need something different, okay? I haven't put in more than two fingertips."

Chloe was torn between really wanting a cock in her and watching them, fascinated. She knew what he looked like when he was really in pain, and this wasn't it. Lucifer breathed deliberately, steady and...somewhat uncomfortably. She ran a finger over his scruff and neck, his pulse had picked up a little. His jaw was tense. She tilted his head to her and kissed him. He started to relax again immediately, breathing harder through his nose.

Lucifer let go of Dan's hip, touching her face. She caught his hand and kissed his palm, tasting his skin. A little sticky lube on his fingers. She licked his fingers, him watching her. Dan's other hand brushed the back of his neck, making him shiver between them. She sucked his fingers one by one, then his pointer and index at the same time, licking the inside of his knuckles. He made pleasing sounds, Dan timing his sliding fingers slowly with her sucking.

The slow but building pace gave her time to watch Lucifers face, his head tilting back and rolling against masculine fingers, eyes closed. Even without the makeup, his eyelashes were sinfully full and thick. He really was beautiful.

Lucifer resumed his explorations of her, taking his hand back. She reached and gripped his shaft again, earning an almost non-vocal groan. His finger brushed the outside of her asshole, slick with her saliva. Not entering, just massaging, touching her with the pad of a single fingertip to play with her. She moaned.

Lucifer hissed, all motion pausing for a split second. Then he growled, " _More,_ Daniel."

Dan moved, pulling his fingers out with a soft sound, replacing them with himself, shallowly. Lucifer moved, making an absolutely glorious sex noise.

Lucifer extracted his hand, urging her hips flat against him, his throbbing cock seeking her. Soaking wet now, she opened her legs and let him in, bending for better access. He made an unearthly sound that reverberated through her. He had a hard time not just thrusting into Chloe, but it would make him loose some of Dan's depth. He compensated by palming her lower abs, holding her hard and tight against him.

Dan shifted again, rolling his hips into Lucifer, pumping him into her. He moaned, reaching across Lucifer for her clit. Then they both were.

 _Holy fuck._

Lucifer pushed into her, moaning delicious noises, driving her to her edge quickly. Dan fingered Lucifer's cock where he drove into her. Pumping a _little_ harder.

"Daniel, I would _very_ much appreciate it if you could fuck me properly now."

Dan gave a single hard pump, ripping another breathy sound from her throat as Lucifer cascaded into her from between them. She bit her lip, clenching. " _Oh my_ \- yes. Keep doing that."

Dan shifted his trapped arm out from under his head, bracing himself against the headboard.

Lucifer held his breath.

Dan slid hip to hip, thrusting harder and steady. He had to do most of the work, but he seemed to be up for it, having to let go of her to keep them more or less together, holding her at the waist. Once he worked himself flush with Lucifer, Dan wrapped his upper leg over both of his, holding him for leverage. The longer, deep, rocking thrusts transferred to Chloe, earning Dan a joint, simultaneous moan.

Taking it as encouragement, he kept it up with long slow rolling penetration that worked to everyone's benefit. Chloe whined. She reached up to find something to brace herself on too, but the headboard wasn't at a good angle. The stone wall just past the headboard was. She picked a rounded extrusion and held it, pushing back against Lucifer, so neither of them would have to work quite as hard. Lucifer gasped, moving his hips between them with a lurch that moved all of them.

She bent at the waist for depth, curling one of her legs back to hook a foot. " _Fuck._ "

She surprised herself, coming first with a panting cry. Hard, wet and throbbing around him, pulling him into her in pounding contractions. Lucifer pressed down on her clit, drawing out her crashing climax. She panted, running out of breath. "Don't stop. Fuck me."

Lucifer moved his hand to her abdomen, holding her against him still. She gripped his thigh, keeping him deep within her. Dan sucked in a harder breath, fucking Lucifer deeply. Tense and stiff, his hips tightened behind her, his thrusts getting erratic. Lucifer stopped any attempt at a rhythm, riding out Dan, wound tight and groaning. He started to arch, Dan throwing his arm around Lucifer's chest, increasing his speed.

Chloe felt his body tense, her satisfying, ebbing flutter gripping his hot, slick erection. Sweat broke out between them and she knew he was very, very close. She twisted in place again to touch Lucifer's face. His half-lidded eyes focused on her. She smiled into his frantic, hungry kiss, turning to grip his hair, then she pulled her lips back after a scant moment. "Come for us."

He did. Shuddering hard, his grip on her shaky and possessive, spilling into her, filling and hot and pounding into what was left of her lingering satisfaction. Flooding her with heat, fluids working around and down him.

Dan held back valiantly, giving a few more thrusts and coming with a hard grunt. He puddled himself against Lucifer, breathing on his neck, kissing it.

—

Dan smelled like Lucifer's favorite lavender soap, but at least he wore his own clothes again. Having a tall person to scrub your back in the shower made for a nice morning. That person having the strength to really dig in with an added shower massage threatened their entire schedule to get to work on time. Plus, standing in a glass-walled shower bigger than his whole bathroom back in his apartment - well, there were several new things that happened recently.

He swung by his place to change first, and being in a very good mood, picked up boxes of donuts on the way to work. That mood soured a bit when the first face he saw was Pierce's, reminding Dan they hadn't actually talked about that aspect of work. He wondered again how the guy got into police work in the first place without someone noticing the guy was...you know, _immortal._ Lucifer had the dubious benefit of having spent most of his time in Hell, and not recognizable.

That was something else too, Maze commenting on how Lucifer looked. Dan shook it off. They were at work,; one insanity a time.

He avoided Pierce on his trip to the breakroom, but the Lieutenant seemed to sense something was different about him.

Lucifer didn't help by catching him as he came back out of the room, planting a firm kiss on Dan. Dan didn't help by not exactly running away either.

Pierce looked sharply at Chloe, but she didn't happen to be looking in their direction at the time.

Ella _had_ happened to be looking in their direction and her jaw was on the floor.

Dan extracted himself with a blush. "Let's keep the PDA to a minimum at work, okay?"

"Hmmph."

"I have to talk to Ella before she blows a gasket."

Lucifer brightened, turning to spot her across the way. "Oh, I can help with that. Ella! darling-"

Dan waved frantically. "Not in the middle of the bullpen!"

Pierce closed in and eyeballed them. "Not _what_ in the middle of the bullpen? Espinoza? Do you two need a trip down to HR?"

Oh. Shit. "Lucifer, whatever you are about to say, do NOT say it."

They had Chloe's _attention_ now. She looked up from her desk, from Dan to Lucifer to Pierce then looked like she was considering crawling under her desk, probably sensing whatever it was Lucifer was about to blurt out.

The Devil reconsidered. "Daniel was bloody marvelous in bed this morning?"

Dan's throat ran dry and his stomach dropped. "What? What were you going to say then?"

Chloe dropped her forehead to her desk, softly.

"Lovely morning, Lieutenant, I hope we have some progress on those murders? Or did you mean to Ella? Oh, that's what you meant, wasn't it?"

Pierce looked like he ate a lemon. "Espinoza, please, just...go do something. Lucifer?"

Lucifer smiled gamely.

Chloe thumped her head on her desk lightly. Dan shifted, not quite exiting.

"Yes?"

"Are you and Decker...not a thing now?" Pierce appeared to be trying to figure how to not to look like an immortal talking to another immortal.

"Oh, we most definitely are."

Pierce's eyes lasered into Lucifer. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"They seem to think so."


	21. Fried Pickles

Chloe squinted at Lucifer over the end of her pool cue.

Before doing a full 'date night', they decided to try out something a little more low key. She didn't know when things would stop feeling weird. But it wasn't tonight. It wasn't all sex-related either. She needed him to explain some things, but in the middle of a bar was not ideal.

After work, Ella joined them for a beer and some pool. She was in on the big 'secret' (which was actually not the _big_ secret) and wanted to spend some time with them that wasn't colored with work and dead bodies.

Just down the street, they hit a bar that was a few blocks further away than the place their colleagues usually went. Most of her coworkers weren't her biggest fans as it was,so she really didn't feel inclined to give them a show.

 _Especially Pierce slash Biblical Cain._

She couldn't look at the Lieutenant now without thinking about what Lucifer said about him. Of course Lucifer wasn't helpful at all that day in that regard, always finding a reason to not be within grabbing distance. Of course Pierce noticed her acting wiggy but he hadn't pressed the issue-yet. She expected to be cornered at some point, but he was too busy with work today.

The rogue demon hadn't turned up either, which worried Chloe. Neither had any new bodies - either none had been found or there were none to _be_ found. What do demons eat? Would Maze be able to find it?

Chloe poked Ella. "What do you do for fun, anyway?"

She startled a little, glancing up. "I like paintball. Wanna go sometime?"

"I feel like we'd murder all the competition. How about the beach?"

"Oh! We could go paragliding! If you're not scared of heights."

Chloe giggled, brushing her hair out of her face. "I don't think I am. That might be fun, all of us out in the sun?"

She collected her thoughts, looking over her man. Men? Had she ever seen Lucifer in swimwear? She knew how Dan looked, maybe Lucifer would like to go surfing. What happens if his wings get soaked in seawater? Is Lucifer waterproof?

She flushed a little, picturing them wet and dripping, heat rising to her cheeks. The three of them sharing Lucifer's bed, waking up to more than one heartbeat, more than one set of hands. Different sets of feet entangled in her legs. In the moment, it was wonderful. WIth a few hours of separation-not to mention work hours, the complications loomed over her.

Here in the bar, she pecked Lucifer on the cheek then went for a round of beer. Chloe had never been big on public displays of affection. She made a few exceptions for Lucifer, but not many. He usually respected her boundaries. Dan accepted the beer with a smile but kept his hands to himself. If not his eyes.

She and Ella leaned against an empty pool table, watching the boys play. Chloe tried to relax but everyone else just seemed so much better at it than her She tensed, expecting a crime scene to break out at any moment. Or maybe wanting one to.

Lucifer had shed his jacket, wearing a pale blue button up shirt and slacks that matched the midnight blue of his coat. Dan rested his hands on his stick, chewing the inside of his cheek and watching Lucifer line up his shot. His eyes tracked where his hands couldn't, making Chloe blush all over again.

Did she look like that when she watched Lucifer?

Probably.

Lucifer's back stretched in long lines as he leaned over the table. His body was impossibly elegant, lean and hard. She could see every line of him under those dress clothes, knew those muscles and that skin. She rubbed her neck, pulling at the top of her shirt.

Ella elbowed Chloe. "Whatcha thinking about?" the tone of her voice made Chloe think she knew _exactly_ what she was thinking about.

Chloe sucked in a breath. If either of the men noticed, they didn't pause in the game. Lucifer's cue ball cracked into another and sent that one bouncing around a corner into another with a lighter tap. She overheard Lucifer say something to Dan about gravitational top-spin on stars as they travel through space and Dan went a bit cross-eyed. Dan commented that Lucifer should take over helping Trixie's math homework.

Heck, with Lucifer's tutoring, maybe she could get to be the first President of Mars.

She looked at her friend, "Ella, what's the most complicated relationship you've been in?"

"Nothing too crazy, dated a couple guys at the same time. They didn't know each other, but they knew I wasn't looking for anything serious. I decided they weren't guys I wanted to keep spending time with, so I split. I haven't dated all that much recently."

"Can I ask…?"

Ella grinned, "Yup. Lucifer's not the only person around here who can find company for the night. I'm not as crazy as I used to be, and I'm guessing he isn't either. Is this bothering you, here? You seem bothered."

Chloe deliberately loosened her grip on her stick and spoke quietly, "yeah? No? I don't know. I can't see how this could really work with anyone else, but…"

Lucifer laughed at something Dan said. Dan took his turn, making a halfway decent shot. Lucifer patted him on the shoulder as he walked past.

She bit her lip. "It was different when Lucifer and I weren't a thing. It didn't bother me that he slept around so much-"

"Really? Cause 92 people over two weeks seem like...a lot?"

Chloe nodded, "yeah. Hmmm. Okay, yeah, that was weird, but it didn't _bother_ me."

Ella lowered her voice, "this isn't a thing to keep him from cheating on you, is it? Cause if it is… "

She barked a laugh that made both Dan and Lucifer glance at her. She waved them off. "No, oddly enough, that's nothing I'd ever be worried about."

"So he really is all that and a handbasket?"

"Trust me, you've never met a man with his stamina." she smiled grimly, "It's not humanly possible."

Ella leaned into Chloe just a little bit. "So? You can't leave me hanging like that, girl. What's the record?"

Chloe smirked and played with her words a little. "He's dedicated, thoughtful and... patient. And he's ready again in less than an hour. Each time." Which was all completely true. Lucifer looked up at her again from across the table and grinned warmly.

She twitched in place. "Did you hear all that, Lucifer?"

He tilted his head at Ella, "don't stop now darling, feel free to list all my good qualities. If it makes you feel better, I only listened to things after something about a 'handbasket'."

Ella smiled playfully, "not one here is going to Hell in one. I hope."

Chloe coughed. "Doesn't sound big enough. Turn off your ears, Lucifer."

He gave a thumbs up and went back to the game.

The four of them had greasy burgers for dinner. Three of them, that is, while the Devil eyeballed his suspiciously.

Ella pointed a fry she stole from Dan at him. "it's delicious, try it." She ate her burger with a side of fried dill pickle chips she shared with the table.

Chloe scooped a pickle through the ranch dressing and popped it in her mouth. "It's really good. I'm bringing a burger home for Trixie."

"How is she? Does she know about you guys?"

Dan waited for Chloe to answer, as she was the one in charge of everything. She picked at her bun. "Kinda? She wanted to know why daddy was on the couch last night, but she wasn't super curious. Dan has stayed over before, just not with Lucifer there too."

Ella's eyes got huge, so Chloe added, "not like _that._ He just wanted a little more daddy time, and I don't have a guest bedroom. A three bedroom apartment is expensive enough, even with a roommate."

Dan eyed the fried pickles the way Lucifer looked at his burger. "I'm lucky I haven't had to get a roommate. I could get one but then I wouldn't have a room for Trixie when she visits for a weekend. Which, by the way?"

Chloe looked up. "Oh yeah, that is next weekend, isn't it? Hmm. Sorry, I wasn't thinking that far ahead. Do you want to move things around?"

"Not unless you guys want to. You and Luce can have some time together and I can take Trixie hiking."

"Hiking?"

"Yeah, she's getting into nature stuff. We might even camp overnight."

"What if we all go?"

Dan shook his head. "I'm kind of looking forward to getting in some dad time. The last couple times I had her over we stayed inside. I've had work to take home or short weekends every other time. I had planned a half day off work, remember? Friday is a holiday or some school day off, I forget which."

Lucifer butted in, "sounds delightful. I get at least one Detective all to myself."

Chloe blushed as Ella grinned, responding, "besides, I can't see Lucifer camping."

He agreed. "Not unless I have to. I've done my fair share of camping before you lot started to use your brain to build indoor plumbing. I much prefer the current, modern world," he made a face at the basket of pickles, "even when it leaves some of you humans with far too much time on their hands and they fry everything."

Ella crunched another pickle chip. "more for me!"

Dan elbowed him, "I think the modern world agrees with you too. No one is getting burned at any stakes these days, am I right?"

Lucifer glared. "You mean like they used to?"

He immediately went pale, leaning back. "... Uh…"

"Don't you think I would have preferred they not?"

Dan tried to back peddle. "Well, yes, of course. It's not like you told them to do that."

"They certainly thought so!"

Chloe squeezed his hand. "He didn't mean it like that." She bit her lip. To Dan, she said, "you know better than to say things like that!"

Ella played with a fry, looking intently at a fuming Lucifer. "Dude, you weren't responsible for that, you know that right?"

He darkened. "Why, because I'm not _actually_ the Devil, Ms. Lopez?"

She winced, pushing her food away. "Okay, I'll play. Even if you were the actual Devil, it still wouldn't be your fault. Humans and free will, right? That's.. Uh.. your Dad's thing? If anything, it's His fault!"

Some of the tension ebbed away, but not all of it. Lucifer's eyes were still slits. "And why is that?"

Ella steepled her fingers. "Well, God is the most powerful thing ever, right? And He didn't come down and tell His people not to burn witches - most of them were hung, not burned, and they weren't even really witches - but still. Free will is important, but it just seems like murder that gets you sent to Hell-I assume?"

He nodded stiffly, "I admit, the demons have a field day when any of _those_ kinds of cold-blooded arseholes show up in Hell. Murderers in mine or my Father's name get special attention. Still rather they not have a reason to be there at all. Torturing is a lot of work."

Ella continued, "okay, so preachers are always going on about getting messages from God anyway, what would be the harm in sending a _real_ message from God, not to murder witches? Or anyone, actually?"

Lucifer waved vaguely at the air. "Ask Him. He's not talking to me."

Ella sighed. "He doesn't talk to me either, but I still think He might be listening."

"For all the bloody good _that_ does."

"Hey, sometimes just talking helps. You ever try it? And I don't mean therapy, I mean like a journal or a diary. I have a friend that does spells to clear her mind. I'm not saying it _works_ in the sense that she's doing magic, but sometimes rituals are just nice in and of themselves."

Lucifer looked at her like she grew an extra head. "I thought you were...of Christ's flock?"

"Dude, _I_ don't burn witches. And I don't think they're going to Hell either. And I kind of think God likes me enough to not punish me for hanging out with a good friend."

The Devil tilted his head. "Alright then." His expression lifted some and he scrutinized Dan. "But Daniel, you deserve some sort of punishment for that comment and I'll be thinking about something suitable."

Dan flinched, but the smoky look Lucifer gave him made him think it wasn't going to be entirely painful. He hoped. Or if it was, it will probably be pleasurable as well.

Ella blushed, but Chloe said, "Can I watch? I still have a lot to learn about that stuff."

Lucifer smiled, much more warmly now that she was on board. "Certainly. I can teach you both about taking care of someone after a suitable punishment. It's not all whips and chains you know."

Ella looked like she wanted to watch too.

Chloe curled up against her Devil, checking her phone. They reclined on her couch for a few minutes before he had to leave to manage the club. She didn't want to break the quiet, but if she didn't, she knew he wouldn't. "Lucifer?"

"Hmm?"

"What are we going to do with Pierce?"

"Hmmmmm? Well, he can't die. We might be able to get him to leave."

"Okay, but...does he know what he's doing? Is he really capable as our boss? If we shuffle him off to another precinct, will they survive it?"

" _Your_ boss maybe. I don't answer to him."

Chloe grumbled, "because you don't want to. And you can get away with it because you know his secret. Does he know who you are too?"

"He does. It's...why he came here."

She sat up. "I thought you said he wanted to do something with me. You still have to explain that."

"Must I?"

"Yes. I know you can feel pain when I'm around, but what is it? Do more people have it? How many?"

Lucifer took her hand, squeezing it. "To the best of my understanding, you're a miracle. Dad is more or less directly responsible for you being here. I rejected it for a long time. It was worrisome to me."

"And because of that, you can be hurt? You experience pain, because of me?"

"I have a lot of lovely experiences while being around you."

She smiled a little and tried to digest it. "Aren't all humans though? Created by God?"

Lucifer sounded puzzled. "What?"

"Your dad…made…everything, right? I'm still not quite processing it all since I spent most of my life not believing, but if the creation story is true, God created me either way, right?"

Lucifer looked skeptical."Technically, yes, that's true."

"How many miracles are there? Is there a meeting I should be attending?" she tried to lighten his mood.

He looked at her longingly, touching her shoulder. "At this point in time? Just the one."

"Oh." Chloe sat up, looking into his deep, dark eyes. There was something there in them that made her fall in love a little more, and something that scared her. She figured out what it was. _He's afraid!_

She leaned over and kissed him tenderly, cupping his face. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere. I don't care what your Dad did or didn't do, I'm still here."

"But what if you're _supposed_ to be with me?"

She giggled. "Then why was I married when you met me?"

"Dad knew you'd divorce…"

"Did He? Can we have free will if God knows what I"m going to do? Besides, this way, Trixie can be part of your life too." She jumped a little at that. "Wait, if I'm unique, does that mean I might be able to have a kid with you? You told me before that you can't, but if I'm special or different?"

"It would just prove my fears, wouldn't it? That you were put in my path?" he flinched a tiny bit, "I suppose we should make sure you're on protection either way then, with or without Daniel in the mix."

Chloe kissed him again. "Does it matter if I was put here? Would you leave me because your dad wants this? Don't you want this?"

Lucifer touched her face. "Of course I wouldn't leave. Won't. But..."

"What?"

"I'm going to outlive you. Not even by months or year. By...eternity."

She hung onto him, clutching him. "I guess I'll just have to visit you somehow, after I die."


	22. Mine

Chloe kissed her Devil, pulling him to the bedroom. He could be late to his club, it needn't open with him there.

He followed, his hand in hers.

She closed the door with a soft click, twisting the thumb lock. He knew the game by now, smiling into her lips with hungry kisses. His hands framed her against the bedroom door, his body close. Her heart rate picked up as she tasted his lips, breaking her own strictly enforced rule at this hour with a soft moan.

 _Quietly._

Attract the attention of a freshly awoken Trixie and the game ended.

Her mind wandered for a mere moment at the idea of all three of them trying to not make any noise. Could they both take her and she not wake up the neighborhood, let alone her daughter? Lucifer nipped her lower lip, bringing her fully back into the now, but her thighs clenched at the thought.

Lucifer breathed her breath, touching her face, not speaking, just starting with her cheeks and letting his hands drift where they wanted to go. Long fingers dragged through her hair, stroking her neck. His flexible, nimble fingers left tingles on her skin in their wake.

She warmed, flushing under his touch. She had so many more questions about him but none of them seemed important right now. She was safe here and nothing else mattered. Nothing needed her attention more than the man in front of her.

Soft sounds came from their parting lips. Shivers ran up and down her skin as the pads of his fingers teased her back lightly. He was just the slightest bit tense and she could feel it in the way he held himself.

Why? The fear from before?

Hmmm. Maybe she should lead this dance.

He was dressed to go back to the club, but she took care of that quickly, yanking his dress shirt out of his trousers with a few quick pulls of fabric. He purred quietly, returning the gesture. His hands slipped up inside her shirt, toying with her bra strap. Just his fingertips slipped under the lace and elastic, not yet attacking the clasp. His thumbs counted her ribs with firm strokes.

With soft clattering of metal and leather, she stripped his belt out of his pants and dropped it. He pulled her to him before she got to his zipper, holding her tight to his body. She became hyper-aware of all the small places their skin touched, hot and urgent. He needed something. He reveled in her, breathing her breath. His arms crossed behind her in a tight hug and he buried his face in her hair.

She returned it, holding him, feeling the press of his warmth and hardness against her soft places. Her hollows begged for him, but she didn't push.

She already loved him but didn't know if she could say it yet, if he could hear it. Lucifer was both tiger and lamb, stalking and skittish. Hunter and prey.

Chloe pulled his face up from her neck and kissed him, pushing him back to get at his fasteners, freeing him from layers that pooled on the floor as elegantly as he moved, all long limbs and muscle and grace. Her clothes joined his.

She kissed him down to her bed, and _God_ she would never tire of looking at him, his lines stretched out in her soft bedroom lighting. Him looking at her like she was a gift.

That thought soured her mood a bit, given what he just told her. She swung her leg over his body, his firm erection pressing up against her hips.

Her smaller body arched over his longer one, hands scooping under his smooth shoulders. She kissed his smile, lingering. His lips pulled at her neck. He finally started to relax, in his element. Apparently convinced she wasn't suddenly going to eat him alive in a literal sense. He palmed her breasts, giving each equal attention.

She brought her knees up to his sides, straddling him and leaning up again. Lucifer grinned from where he was, moving his hands down her body to grip her thighs, his eyes very dark and full of promises. She reached down between them, running her fingers over the eager length of him, his smooth hardness nestled up against her. Chloe knew she was already wet, needy and wanting him.

Then she grumbled and fished a condom out of the drawer.

He looked at her curiously.

She pointed at her hips, more or less where her ovaries were, with flat lips.

Lucifer whispered, "You haven't just dropped an egg, you know."

"Why would I know that?"

"You can't tell?"

"How?"

He shifted his palms from her thighs to her hips. "I can-" he hesitated, pinning down which sense it was that gave him this information. "Usually by smell. Your hormones are a little different. You're just a day or two from your dreaded 'time of the month.'" she forbade him from proper medical terms as much as possible.

She felt her face pinch. "Ugh. I know what much. You try bleeding for four days out of every thirty and see if you don't dread it every time. Especially with _your_ eternal body. I'm going to have a word with your Father if I ever meet Him."

Lucifer winced. "In any case, you're well past incubating anything this month. I doubt your theory from earlier holds any water anyway. Celestials and humans don't procreate."

Something she didn't know she missed, clenched. It was probably just the monthly hormones. She didn't want another kid right now, but to _not_ ever have one with Lucifer? For real? Not that _he_ probably wanted one. But still. "Don't or can't?"

He looked away, slowly speaking, "...I suppose anything is possible but it hasn't happened yet, to my knowledge, with any angel."

She kept her voice low, abandoning the foil square in the drawer and deciding to shove the question in the mental box with the rest of them she wanted to ask, just not now. "Well, if there's no egg, I don't have to worry about that." She bent low, kissing his neck. "I like feeling you without anything between us."

Lucifer went back to kissing her between words, discussion already put aside. "Hmm. You do, do you? Would you like to tell me more?"

Chloe blushed. "I like to feel you all up inside me. I like, uhm.."

"Yes?" His hand moved between her legs, outside her mons, caressing in slow strokes just outside where she wanted him.

She moved her hips against him, lifting to give him room to explore her. "The way you touch me. Anywhere you touch me."

He slid his hand further back, the flesh of his thumb between her creases, one of his long fingers teasing her ass. "There too?"

She bit his neck. "It's a little dry…"

Lucifer switched hands, sucking on his fingers first. Hot and slick, he swapped out his dry fingers for wet, slowly rubbing around her tightness behind. She straightened, more stiff than she wanted to be. His fingers slowed further, not entering, just sliding back and forth with real pressure.

He kissed her, slow and thoroughly, distracting, just barely touching her with his fingertips, teasing until she _wanted_ him to do more. She swallowed, letting him, enjoying it. She explored herself and her ass got the idea this was something pleasurable, desired. New. She wanted his face there, like he'd done to Dan.

His voice was low, "is this what you want?"

It felt good. "Yes."

The end of his fingertip pressed just inside her ass, gently.

She knew then they couldn't keep going tonight, not there anyway. "Fuck."

He froze. "Chloe?"

She touched him. "It's fine, I just know I won't be able to be quiet if you put your cock in my ass tonight."

Lucifer immediately relaxed, looking hopeful. "Hmm. May I continue playing?"

"Oh yes. But I need you in me."

"Reverse cowgirl?"

He gave her giant puppy eyes and she couldn't help laughing hard enough that she had to clap her hands over her mouth. She carefully moved, holding on to his knees instead of his waist so he could touch her back. And other things.

This was new. And fun. She sank onto him, finally feeling him. Her regret was she couldn't see his face. But that would be remedied soon. She moved with the new angle, rising and resting.

Chloe reached to touch herself, engaging everything in contact with her lover.

Lucifer kept his finger in her light, his thumb rimming her, moving with her hips. She found another advantage to this style of sex, she could reach his balls easily. Chloe took advantage of it, sucking her own fingers where he could see her face. He might have read what she intended on her face, because he twitched and groaned softly. She drew it out, swirling her tongue on her fingers like it was him. His free hand held onto her low stomach. She smiled around her fingers and popped them loose, touching his balls with slick ends.

Feeling inspired, she ran them lower.

He hissed and bucked against her, so she did it again. She'd never done this before, so she we was careful, not sure what to expect, but he gave easily. She spit into her hand and went back with more, copying his finger movements on her, under him.

Lucifer tilted his hips, letting his legs fall further open to her and she was surprised to find her fingers in him to the first knuckle or so. He clenched around her, making low sounds of pleasure as she moved.

He groaned low, moving, hitching his hips. She didn't think he was that close. Curious, she added a second finger to him, pushing. She felt something give a little more resistance, his prostate?

He growled, "yes. That. Keep doing that."

She did, at his instruction, slowly sliding her two fingers back and forth over the spot, staying slow, careful of her fingernails as he did the same, but with one digit. She almost forgot to touch herself, his strong, steady hand keeping her upright. Then she did remember, massaging her throbbing clit with a soft moan.

The whole thing, rather than pounding her senseless - which she liked too - was a rolling, rocking wave of building pleasure that broke in unexpected ways. Chloe stimulated herself to a clitoral orgasm, panting and pulsing against his hard, slick cock inside her, then he let go next, powerfully, spasming hard into her, wet and spilling.

When she wrestled to get her breath back, she prodded him with her fingers, making him buck hard against her hips again, and she could feel the base of his orgasm, rolling with her fingers.

They stayed like that, both panting and sweating until she carefully extracted herself, curling up against his side. "Oh, my Devil…"

"Indeed?" He kissed her forehead. "Shower?"

Dan's phone buzzed. It was a text from Lucifer. " _Do you want to come over tonight and receive your punishment?_ "

He looked at the ceiling. It was late, and if he did go over, he'd likely be waking up there. Again.

What else was he doing? Checking Facebook and looking up obscure facts on the internet?

He lounged in sweats and a sleep tee. He'd have to change before going out. And pack a bag.

Only slightly against his better judgement, he sent back. " _What do you have in mind?_ "

" _Don't tell me you'd want to ruin the surprise._ "

Something low in his body stirred. _May you live in interesting times..._ " _as long as it doesn't involve leaving marks."_

Dan could almost hear the teasing voice in his ear, and the thought alone made him shiver. Lucifer answered, " _nothing visible outside your clothes, if you wish."_ After another second, he added, " _Or none at all, I have many methods of punishment available."_

One time, he and Chloe got a little carried away while trying out spanking. The red handprints didn't fade for several hours.

It was...cathartic.

That said, voluntarily showing up for 'punishment', this was still a bit outside his normal. He knew from interviewing tons of ex-lovers, that Lucifer knew what he was doing, but still.

Lucifer perhaps sensed something. He sent another text, " _or save it for another time. The last thing I want is anyone to dread entering my presence."_

" _Maybe?"_ Dan thought about adding something like, 'I trust you', but it didn't seem sincere. He went with honesty. " _It's all still new to me, or most of this. I know you know what you're doing, I just don't know if I am."_

" _Ah, I believe I've read something of this. The self-doubt not long after something pleasurable. Sometimes happened with other ex-partners. You'll find it all more enjoyable if you don't overthink it. Just consider all the wonderful sex we can still have. Now that Chloe has thoroughly laid claim to me, when else could you explore sexy Devil fun times?"_

He had a point. It's not like he was even looking to date, even if Charlotte seemed possibility available. After the 'mum' thing, though...

" _See you soon."_

He tasted like smoke and whiskey.

Jealous eyes followed Dan and Lucifer when they cleared out of the club floor to the elevator upstairs. Even in the dim light and strobing neon, he caught any number of looks of flat-out greed.

Granted, those eyes wouldn't be on him if not for the company, but he couldn't deny it was more than a little intoxicating. Lucifer caught his hand with a charming smile and Dan self-consciously adjusted the strap on his overnight pack.

A platinum blonde woman in a short red dress crossed Lucifer's path, stalking him in six-inch heels. She reached for him like she thought she owned him, leaning up to steal a kiss. Or at least try to.

Before Dan had time to even form a protesting word in his throat, Lucifer's hand shot up, catching her wrist before she got further into his personal space. He smoothed over his initial expression of shock to that of 'club owner', thinking better of just throwing her out for no real reason. Afterall, he was used to lovely people trying to get his attention. But Dan didn't miss the outright anger that flashed.

His voice was low and harsh, unmistakably annoyed, "now, Honey. I've already told you I'm spoken for these days."

She pouted, and it wasn't as attractive on her as she thought is was. "But you're picking _him_ ," she flashed a look at Dan that wasn't completely unfriendly. "I could keep the two of you company."

Lucifer visibly sighed. "We both know you do delightful things with items in my closet. But I already told you last week my apartment isn't open door any longer."

Honey- _was that her name?-_ dragged her painted nails down his shirt with her free hand. She ignored both his tone and half his words. "If you still have that _one_ toy, I can do you both."

Dan winced. He swore he _felt_ Lucifer's rising anger from where he stood a few feet away like heat from an oven.

Lucifer did not disappoint. " _Darling_ , I _suggest_ you find other company tonight. There are many here who will find your bedside skills tolerable."

From Lucifer, it was downright insulting. She didn't heed his warning. She put her lips on his fingers where he still had her wrist and Dan was suddenly sure his night was about to end in an arrest instead of him being the one in cuffs.

Lucifer must have felt the same, as his eyes flicked to Dan and he smiled. " _Detective_ , I believe this woman is assaulting me."

Honey jerked back, eyeing Dan with trepidation and a longer look. He sighed but sternly flashed his badge where she could see it, but kept it low to not freak out the club in general. "You really should keep your hands off people when they don't want it."

Lucifer let go of her and she stepped back at the same time. She pointed her finger at him and her shiny red, lacquered nails reminded him of the loose claw from the crime scene. _Fuck_. He would have to think of that now, wouldn't he? She stuck her tongue out at Lucifer. "Your loss, sweetie."

Honey walked away, bumping hard into Dan with a dirty look. " _Excuse me,_ officer." She vanished into the writhing crowd, and Dan wanted to get away from the pounding noise. This was not his scene.

He didn't bother correcting her as she left. He turned to pick his way toward the elevator again, but Lucifer was right there, kissing him soundly. Dan blinked, dazed. He automatically folded his arms around his slender waist, returning it. "Hmmm?"

Lucifer didn't have much height over Dan, but right there in the middle of everything, he was a tower. This was his kingdom. Every nearby eye looked over at them, drawn by his magnetic aura. The Devil answered amidst the onlookers, "I'm getting ill of people doubting my sincerity. When I say my person is of limited availability, I expect to be understood." He cupped Dan's face, bending his face to his in a kiss more passionate than lustful. If Dan had any doubt at all what he had signed up for, it all vanished and all he saw was stars.

Lucifer's tongue brushed the roof of his mouth and even the crowd and noise fell away. The sight of him attending to a patron wasn't out of the ordinary. This was different. His lips parted with a, " _mine_." A bare whisper, yet heard by all.

Dan shivered down to his toes, smiling and a little weak in the knees. "Yours."


	23. Punishment

This was much better than staying at home.

Lucifer had a way of making you forget about everything that wasn't him.

Which was a little bit of a problem, given the questions he had about actual eternal life and more immediately, the looming case.

All of which flew out of his mind _again_ when Lucifer dipped his head and bit Dan's shoulder, through his shirt.

Lucifer had Dan standing and pressed against the edge of the couch, much like a recent time. Dan yelped at the bite, more in surprise than pain. "What was that for?"

"Two reasons, dear Detective. You seem distracted. Also, punishment."

"Yeah, I am. And biting?"

"That's part of it." Lucifer pushed away the V-neck of Dan's Henley shirt to lick the bite. The clean smell of his hair made Dan want to dig his fingers into it.

"Hmmmmmgh." _part?_

Lucifer dropped to his knees.

Dan's jeans got uncomfortable quickly. Lucifer unbuckled Dan's belt, leaving it open, then tugged down his jeans to expose the top of Dan's hips. He bit there next, on his right hip, lighter this time against bare, unprotected skin. His tongue dug into the hollow then he sealed his lips to skin to raise a red mark. Lucifer had his hands on the outside of Dan's legs, thumbs hooked into the waistband. With his tongue and teeth, he popped the brass button then went back to sucking on skin in a new spot a few inches from the first. He moved to drag his tongue through the hair between Dan's belly button and top of his jeans.

When Lucifer's hands didn't move again off his legs, Dan began to suspect the nature of his punishment. He groaned. Visions of last time alone with just Lucifer raced through his thoughts.

Lucifer spoke into his happy trail. "I'm feeling as though I would like your _complete_ attention." He caught a few hairs and skin with his teeth, pulling there in another light nip. He wetted his lips when he let go, close enough to feel his breath.

Dan gulped. "You have it."

"Hmmm. I'm not sure yet. Better do some more testing." Lucifer mouthed the front of his jeans, but Dan's rising interest was off-center. Basic anatomy left Lucifer's chin skimming the base, through thick layers of fabric. He could barely feel anything other than vague pressure through denim.

Then Lucifer rose up enough to bite above his left hip, soothing it again with a long suckling kiss that left a raised another red mark. Dan made an inarticulate sound. "You're making me think I should piss you off more often."

Lucifer's fingertips clenched the outside of Dan's ass. "You say that now, love, let's find out if you're still saying it in two hours."

 _Two hours? What time was it anyway? Was he even going to get decent sleep-_ "Ouch!"

Lucifer nipped the underside of his left lowest rib, sharply enough that Dan could feel the edges of his teeth. Lucifer tsk'ed. "What did I say about your attention?"

Dan struggled, watching lips an inch from his skin. "Hnnnnngggg."

"No, I don't believe that was it." Lucifer nipped again, harder and longer, indenting his teeth into flesh. When he let go, there were pressure marks left behind.

 _Fuck. That one actually hurt._ "Ah! It was uh... 'Complete attention'..."

"Correct." Lucifer licked the skin, soothing angry red marks. Dan swore the pain faded to nearly nothing too. He looked up from his position on the floor, beguiling and sultry "Does that mean you were lying before?"

He knew he tensed in response but couldn't help it. "Uh. I got distracted again."

"Hmmm.. Good boy. Lying just extends your punishment. Keep this up and your cock will be somewhere pleasant in no time." he kissed the skin then, soft light kisses and tongue that dipped back down below Dan's belly button in a straight line. His hands still didn't move, other than applying pressure. Only his thumb pads were above the line of his waistband, and they started moving, rubbing circles into Dan's hip bones. He grew painfully hard, watching that black head of hair from above. Lucifer's shoulders, even in the dress shirt, were well defined. His red-soled shoes glared up at him from the floor.

Lucifer breathed heated breath through Dan's jeans, right on the head of his cock, followed by the pressure of his lips through denim and Dan's whole body jumped.

Dan very very carefully resisted the urge to close his eyes. Lucifer flicked an eye up at him and smiled. "Very good boy." Lucifer unzipped Dan's jeans, but the belt was still hanging free. He used a thumb to push Dan's erection back to center where he could have a little relief. And then ignored it again. But his hands finally slid up, allowing two fingers on each hand to touch skin. Dan nearly sank down, his hips jerking towards Lucifer without willing them to.

Lucifer hummed. "Problem, Daniel? Aren't you happy with what I'm giving you so far?"

"Hnnngghghgnng."

Lucifer's teeth came down on the outside of Dan's cock, lightly, through the fabric. "What was that, Detective?"

"Yes, Dark Lord."

Lucifer blinked and looked up. "Hmmm. I was going to call you on lying again, since you are, but that's not a bad response either. Are you telling the truth, Daniel?"

"Hnnggg- Yes. No. I need more of you."

"Oh, you'll get it. You'll get all of me. But not until I've determined your punishment fulfilled."

Dan flushed, he started to move his hands to touch Lucifer, but the Devil pinned them in a flash, holding his palms to the couch edge. Lucifer looked up again, centimeters over Dan's straining cock. "You'll have me. You'll put your sweet lips around me," he leaned in and bit lower, through the jeans again. "I'll fuck your delicious mouth. You'll suck me off until I'm dry." he pulled the belt free, finally, dropping it. He pulled the jeans down far enough to bite Dan's right hip close to his cock. "And then I might let you come."

Dan's cock twitched, hard. "I.. .uh… Yes."

"Hmmm." He pushed up Dan's shirt, kissing the low center of his chest, tracking his abs with his tongue. "Yes, what?"

"Yes, Dark Lord."

"Better. I think you can take off your clothes now."

Dan looked at the bed. Lucifer stayed there on his knees, grinning. "Except the boxers. Leave those. I'll deal with them myself."

"Hnng." Dan ungracefully threw his shirt off, pushed off his sneakers and tugged down his jeans, then carefully put his hands right back where they were, on the couch cushion.

Lucifer shifted his weight on his knees, sitting back a moment and eyeing Dan appreciatively.

"What?"

"Just surveying what is mine." Lucifer kissed the inside of one knee and lightly bit just above in the sensitive flesh on the inside of his thigh. He stayed there, sucking hard and with his teeth this time. Dan inhaled as he moved up a few inches. "Hmm. Still have your attention, do I?"

Dan blushed. "Oh, yes."

"I think I believe you." Hot tongue traveled further, into the right lower edge of Dan's black boxer-briefs, into a few soft curls. His mouth pulled at the fabric with his teeth, slipping his tongue against soft skin. "Hmmm...good, you showered before arriving."

Dan wasn't sure it was a question, so he just enjoyed the view. Coiffed hair tilted to the side, pink mouth and tongue just visible, low and hot. His cock nearly hurt with how hard he was, but he didn't touch himself.

Lucifer thumbed his balls on one side and sucked on the other with a wicked swipe. Dan groaned. Lucifer withdrew his tongue, mouthing him with his lips and looking up with a dark eye. "Are you impatient, Daniel?"

 _Lying bad. Beer good. Tree pretty._ "I want you. Badly."

"Didn't answer the question." Lucifer bit the top of the inside of his thigh, sucking hard.

"AH! Yes. Yes. Yesyesyesyes."

"Now I'm feeling more appreciated. What are you impatient for, Daniel?" Lucifer edged down his underwear, slipping his hands up inside from his legs to the top band and pulling. The top of Dan's wet cock bent slightly into the fabric. The pressure from just that made him jerk again.

Dan, breathing harder, fought to put words together. "I want to fuck you senseless."

The fabric came down off his hips, exposing him to air and Lucifer's breath. He licked up the side of Dan's cock, avoiding the tip. "Can you be more specific?"

"I want to pick you up, strip you naked, throw you on the bed and fuck your sweet, tight, ass."

"Sounds like you're still capable of forming complete sentences. I hope I'm not losing my touch." He licked up the other side, then went back to dragging his tongue through Dan's happy trail. The scruff of Lucifer's face pricked his hot, sensitive skin.

"Hng. No."

"No, what?"

"No, Dark Lord."

Lucifer stood and started unbuttoning his shirt, eyeing Dan. "Do you think you deserve to get what you want?" he stopped mid-way, his shirt open, and started undoing his sleeve cuffs, popping one at a time.

Dan left his hands planted on the cushion and kissed the middle of Lucifer's chest. Lucifer enjoyed the ingenuity, so he only lightly pinched one of Dan's nipples instead of twisting. Dan gasped and leaned into it.

Lucifer kissed his neck, mouthing low and biting his earlobe. He didn't answer the question, but it was one that could easily veer off into truly negative answers, so he continued, "I think you've been doing quite well. I think you do deserve to get what you want."

Dan leaned back to catch his mouth with his and kiss him. Lucifer ran his hands down Dan's bare arms to grip his wrists and pull his hands off the couch. Dan resisted for all of half a second, then dove to touch him, sliding his hands down the back of Lucifer's shirt and holding him. Dan kneed his legs apart, shifting his hands to hoist him against his hips, bracing to carry him and make good on his desire.

The Devil was impressed. This was one of the very few things his female lovers were rarely capable of - and not even all the male ones either. Lucifer took a moment to admire the arms wrapped under him. Comfortably. Dan pulled his hips to him, standing, sucking on Lucifer's neck. Lucifer toed his shoes off to hit the floor, then gamely tucked his legs up around Dan's hips.

Dan hefted him easily, looking up into eyes the color of deep night. He carried him to the bed and dropped him, ruining another set of buttons by yanking the rest of the shirt open and kissing down his chest. The black trousers and silk boxers were pushed down and off his legs next, Dan scooting down his body to rid him of the clothes and licking his way back up. He kissed the side of Lucifer's cock, continuing back up until he was nearly over him again.

Dan forgot he still had his underwear on until Lucifer reached in and gripped him firmly. Dan licked his lips, trying not to buck into the dry fist. He was on his knees over Lucifer, half-bent to put his lips to skin. He groaned into Lucifer's neck. He touched Lucifer in turn where he had licked a wet stripe up his hardness. He started to pull back but Lucifer didn't let go right away, his fist around him nearly painful. He needed to move his face, needed to taste him. "Please?"

Lucifer grinned, seductive and eyes dark. "Whatever for?"

He caught his mouth and kissed him between words. "So I can suck you off, taste you. Then fuck you senseless."

Lucifer pulled his fingers through Dan's hair, kissing him hard, almost bringing them together. He let go of Dan so he could shift back. He did, dragging his fingers over his body. Dan did what he said he wanted, mildly surprised to find in the back of his brain that he _did_ want this. To keep doing this. Not just reciprocating from another sex act. Dan wanted to kiss his lover to new (or new to Dan anyway) heights. He was more sure about his movements, touching the body under him gently, smiling to himself as he remembered Lucifer's particularly sensitive hip bones. So he ran his tongue over one of them, tickling until he got Lucifer to buck up against him, squirming and breathing harder.

He groaned. "Now is not my night of torment, it's-"

Dan took him in his mouth, slipping his tongue over the head and back down, in slow circles. He liked how Lucifer responded to him, wanting him. It was never about just getting off, Lucifer could have anyone for that, or himself. Lucifer wanted and needed to feel him, touch him too. Dan would smile himself but his mouth was busy.

This time, he could sense his gag reflex and stayed away from it, He constricted his throat, testing the part that set it off last time, shying away. It would take time and training to get past the trigger point, or ignore it. He should probably ask Chloe for tips.

On sucking cock. Specifically this one.

Ha. Dan hummed, amused his brain could even be distracted again with his face engaged. He wrapped his lips tight, sucking up Lucifer's pre-cum, feeling him hot and closer than before. Dan breathed hard through his nose, taking as much as he could and drawing lovely sounds from overhead.

Lucifer tensed, his abs clenching and drawing in. Dan wiped up some of his spit, gripping around the base of Lucifer's cock and dragging his fingers in a circle under his mouth, pumping. He pushed his knees apart with his own, snaking a hand under his lover.

Lucifer's body moved slightly. "You make quite the view, Daniel. I don't think you'll last long in my ass."

"Mmmmmmm."

"Hnng. Daniel, I'm about to-"

"Mmmng-hmmmm." _Dammit, if Chloe can do it, so can he._

Well, he tried anyway. The pulsing flood of fluid coming from Lucifer burst into his mouth and it wasn't _bad_ exactly, just...hot and wet and mildly sweet. And he'd never tried to swallow _anything_ at this angle before. He wiped his mouth, a little embarrassed. Lucifer happily pulled him up for another kiss, something _he_ was used to. Dan kept hold of his cock, gently squeezing to his hard pulse.

He had to ask, against Lucifer's prickly face, "Do you like the way you taste?"

"Hmm. Do you?"

"Mostly? I don't really have anything to compare it to." Dan grinned and bit his ear. "I could get used to it." Dan sat up to lightly bite Lucifer's nipple. "And you didn't answer the question."

Lucifer laughed and it delighted Dan's soul. Lucifer pulled him down again, hard against his body. And fuck he felt good. Lucifer spoke around kisses, licking Dan's teeth. "How do you want me?"

"I want to see your face."

"No need for me to move at all then." He smiled and wriggled his hips.

Dan knew exactly where the lube was, and which one to grab, coating his fingers. Lucifer was already returning to hardness, but still sticky. Dan bent low to clean him with his tongue, slipping a finger inside him, going deeper than he would have with a non-angel. Lucifer twitched with a grunt.

It wasn't necessarily a good twitch.

Dan looked up. "Are you okay?"

He was tense, but waved it off. "It just burns a little. Not used to that yet."

Dan blinked, freezing and feeling immensely guilty. "Uh. Did Chloe sneak in?"

Lucifer turned his head, projecting, "Detective?"

No answer.

Dan leaned up, but he didn't see anyone. "Chloe?"

They looked at each other. Dan pulled away, removing his hand carefully and slowly. _No blood. Thank Whatever he didn't skip the warm up._ "Uhm."

Lucifer rolled up in flash, calling Chloe. After a number of rings, she answered, her voice groggy with sleep. "Luc'fer?"

"Are you home, Detective?"

"Yeeeeesss? Everything alright?"

"I'm not sure."

She was more awake. "What's up?"

"Daniel put his finger in my ass and it _hurt._ "

Chloe digested that for several seconds. "That's not supposed to happen."

"Thank you, Detective."

"Do you want me to come over? Shit. I can't. Maze isn't here and Trixie's asleep. Do you want to come back here? With Dan?"

Lucifer whined. "We were having perfectly good sexy times, and this happened."

Chloe snapped, "well, I can't do anything about it. I'm not going to get in my car and drive further away to see if your butt settles down." She sighed. "I'm sorry babe, that was uncalled for. Is it just your ass or is it everything? Was I too rough with you?"

"No, not at all." He turned back to a nervous Dan. "Daniel, slap me."

Dan jerked. "What?"

More firmly, Lucifer said, "Your Dark Lord asked you to slap him."

Hesitantly, Dan came over and firmly patted Lucifer on the ass.

"My _face_ Daniel. And do better than that."

Chloe couldn't help but snicker a little, imagining what happened.

Dan screwed up his courage and smacked Lucifer's cheek. Lucifer was not happy about something.

He responded to Chloe, "it hurt! It was fun when you did it in the elevator!"

Sure enough, there was an actual red imprint on Lucifer's face when Dan made contact. He started feeling alarmed. He looked down at the phone. "I'm not a...what are you?"

She grumbled. "A miracle. And no, you're not. You have siblings. Come over, I'll make tea and turn a fan on so Trixie won't hear us talking."

"See you soon."

Dan found his shirt. "Do you need to grab anything?"

Lucifer looked like he wanted to throw something. "I don't know why I'm surprised." He kicked his trousers up in the air and grabbed them. "Something halfway good happens in my life and here comes Dad."

"Did. Uhm?"

"Yes…?"

"Did your uh...did God have an opinion on your sex life?"

"Haven't asked. Can't imagine He cares either way."

"Why screw with you then?"

"Could be worse I suppose. There are fictional versions of me that indicate I don't even have proper equipment. Can you imagine that?"

Dan really couldn't. "Does that mean God is messing with me too? That can't bode well."

"Don't fret. He cares for you more than me. And as for that, I'll make this up to you." Lucifer kissed Dan, passing him both phones to hold. Dan looked at them, puzzled.

Lucifer buttoned his shirt, glaring. "I'll have to text Amenadiel. He'll meet you there, as will I."

"Where are you going?"

"Just a quick side trip to Hell. Won't be long. Last time I took technology with me, ash got in it."


	24. Hell and Back

Chloe briefly debated on barricading her daughter's door, but Trixie appeared to be solidly asleep. She did set up a couple of plastic bottles that would get knocked over as a warning sound if she opened the door, but it wouldn't stop her from leaving the room.

She paced in thin pajamas while waiting the short time for her- _for Dan_ to get here. She had a pretty good idea of what occurred. After all, it hadn't taken that long with Lucifer, hindsight being what it was.

It bothered her a lot less than she would have guessed. Which wasn't to say she wasn't bothered _at all_ ; she never had polyamorous tendencies before, nor had she ever dated more than one person at once in the past. Neither had Dan, to her knowledge. Lucifer, of course, was literally a whole different animal.

Dan arrived before long on her front doorstep, looking unsure and unsettled and more than a little like someone stepped on his foot. She pulled him inside by the hand when he hesitated on the threshold. "Where is he?"

"He said he had to make a side trip to Hell. I don't think I could have stopped him."

She buried her frustration - this wasn't Dan's fault. "No, I suppose not. Go - Whatever. I hate it when he just takes off like that. Did he say what for? Is he okay?"

"No, he didn't. He _looked_ okay before he left."

Chloe pulled him in for a hug. A familiar scent wafted off his neck; a touch of Lucifer's cologne. "So, what he said on the phone...?"

Dan blushed red. "Er. Yeah."

His neck had a mark that was slightly visible right at the neckline of the fabric. She pulled down the collar of his t-shirt to get a better look. "He did a number on you, didn't he?"

"Uhm."

A sly smile picked at her face and she didn't quite control it. "I kinda want to try that. On you. And him." She really didn't _mean_ to suddenly become aroused, but finding Lucifer's love mark on him shot heat straight between her legs. "Is there more?"

"Uhm."

She lifted the lower hem of his shirt. And got a little weak in the knees. A _line_ of bites and red bruises crossed his hips, angling down to the middle of his belly from either side. They dove below his belt, vanishing from view, but the direction of them was quite clear. She blushed and let go, dropping the shirt. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be just grabbing you like that."

Dan rubbed his neck. "It's okay, I kind of don't mind it when it's either of you."

She stepped back a bit, creating distance. "It's not. I should have asked first."

He held out his arms and she stepped back into them. "Seriously, grab me anytime you want to. It's nice to hold someone again."

"Especially Lucifer, huh?"

"Especially either of you. Lucifer's still learning how to hug. It makes a lot more sense now."

"Yeah, I guess it does. I guess we'll have to teach him. Even after we started officially dating, he still wasn't a big fan of 'hugs'. I don't think he's used to people touching him without wanting something more than just touching."

Dan squeezed her tightly, thinking of the difference in their frames, and let go again. "So, do _you_ have any fun love bites you want to share?"

Chloe's eyes darted to his hidden waist then dragged back up to his face with visible effort. "No, he doesn't play rough with me. I think he's afraid to, sometimes. It's probably why we haven't done butt stuff." She knew her voice had an edge to it that screamed she desired otherwise - at least on the marking part. He hadn't even asked about anal sex again after her knee-jerk refusal the first time Lucifer brought it up. She really was going to settle her curiosity about it at some point, it just didn't seem sexy. Until very recently.

Somewhat oblivious to her current state of partial arousal, Dan flopped on the couch to wait for Lucifer to show - he said he would. She curled up next to him, burrowing into the hollow between his body and the couch pillows. His body was pleasantly warm under her head. For lack of anything else leaping to his scattered mind, he said, "that doesn't have to be _rough_ , by the way. With me, he went really slow, but I'm not sure how much of it you were paying attention to, since you were, uh, a bit out of it."

She giggled. "Yeah, mistakes were made. I feel bad now that I missed out on some of that, but drunk-witnessing sex was fun too. A couple of months ago, I never would have thought having my own personal live-porn show with two men would be nearly as hot as it was."

Dan grinned, blushing just a little. "Thanks, by the way. I meant it, it really is nice, having you, and him, at least as much as you'll let me."

Chloe appeared interested. "It hurts though? Doesn't it? And Lucifer is...impressive."

He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling up a throw blanket over them. He was too both wound up and tired to be anything but be honest. "It did, at first. I snuck some web research in at work, and it's, uh, normal to be uncomfortable at the start, but you can get ready faster, over time. Enough lube and it's, uhm, better than fine, honestly. _You_ don't have a prostate or anything, so I can't speak for that - but it was pretty amazing. I didn't _hurt_ him, I think if that's what you're asking. At least, he didn't say it did more than burn a little. That was the first thing we did tonight that _could_ have hurt him." Dan was pretty sure he was rambling.

She smiled a little. "So your 'punishment' was to sit there and take whatever he wanted to do to you?" _Damn._ She wanted to add more marks to him right now. Maybe trade some.

"Mostly standing rather than sitting, but, uhm." Dan blushed. It was adorable.

She shifted against him, her breasts shoved up against his side. Her bra from earlier rested somewhere back in her room, and good riddance.

Dan felt her pulse pick up. He definitely noticed her lack of a bra as his fingers dragged in long circles over her back. "Chloe?"

"Uhm." The soft fabric between them tickled her nipples, hardening them.

"Are you turned on by that?"

She snaked her arm around his waist. "A little yeah."

This, her in his arms, reminded him of back when they used to cuddle on the couch with a movie. How had he ever been so stupid as to let her go? Or, more accurately, do stupid things that pushed her away? He kissed the top of her head, tangling his fingers in her hair, gently.

Chloe leaned up and kissed him. He hadn't done more than put clothes on before he came over, and he smelled musky but not in a bad way, with a mix of interesting smells on him. "Mmmmm."

"Uhm, Chloe?"

"I can taste him on you." She licked his lips. "I can smell him on your face." She kissed the corner of his mouth.

Dan flushed, thinking of what had been there recently, his mouth busily wrapped around Lucifer's cock. "I guess I should have showered, sorry."

"No, it's nice." Her hand crept up his thigh.

Dan's growing erection helpfully reminded him Lucifer left _very_ abruptly. She kissed him again, deeply, her body twisting to make better contact with his, leaning against him. It was getting easier to just relax with his - _with Chloe._ Something tried to prick at the back of his brain.

He let them go on for a moment or two longer, then pulled back. Hesitantly, he said, "you should probably call Maze. I don't have her number."

"Oh? Oh! Right, she might know what to do about Lucifer. I should have thought of that." Chloe gave his upper thigh a squeeze and picked up her phone from the back of the couch, sitting up.

Maze actually picked up this time. "What?"

"Hey, uhm. How often does Lucifer run back to Hell?"

"Pretty much never, why?"

"He's-"

Ash suddenly filled the living room in a cloudburst. Lucifer had his wings out, the tips touching opposite walls and he ineffectually brushed ash off his coat sleeves with either hand in turn. The smell of brimstone hit them next, along with a wave of cold then hot displaced air. The whole house began to fill with the smell of dying charcoal embers. Most of the ash stayed localized a few feet from the couch.

Chloe almost dropped her phone. "Nevermind. He's back."

Maze cursed and hung up.

Dan and Chloe both leapt off the couch at the same time. Dan got to him first. "Hey! Are you okay?"

Lucifer grumbled without answering at first, fluffing out his wings and sending ash further out into the room. He looked disgruntled, dirty and annoyed, but not anxious. Dan breathed in some by accident and coughed. Lucifer dropped his jacket on the floor, through his wings, and it landed with _another_ puff of floating ash. Gruffly, he said, "it's fine. I'm fine."

Chloe waved her hand in front of her face. "What on earth happened?"

He dropped his shirt next, looking gloriously bare-chested in trousers and wings out, flakes of ash starting to settle at his feet. He groused, "Nothing happened. On earth or otherwise. I appeared in a particularly dense ashfall."

Dan walked around the wings and picked up his clothing. "What kind of nothing?"

"I had to make sure I could still _go_. I...panicked. I thought perhaps I was losing my 'Luciferness' as Chloe likes to put it."

"The wings weren't an indication you were still you?"

Lucifer shook himself and shrugged. Everyone sneezed again. "Not being able to enter Hell wouldn't be the first thing I lost, but it would be distressing. I haven't had access to my Devil form since a few months ago."

Chloe bit her lip. "You said something about that before. Are you okay?"

Something was bothering him. He opened his mouth, closed it, shook his head. "I said I'm fine."

Dan regarded the ashy wings, apparently taking his statement at face value. "Well, now that your curiosity is satisfied, can we take you to a car wash? Or at least _outside_? That's where your clothes are going."

Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Feeling possessive of my apartment, Dan?"

Before he could answer, she waved him off. "He's not wrong. How can we fix this? And yeah, get those pants off too."

Lucifer was relatively clean under his suit, thankfully. He fluffed his wings outdoors but they remained full of fine bits of dust and ash. The late hour permitted him to stand outside for a few seconds before Chloe shoved him back inside towards the bathroom. The neighbors were a lot closer here than her mom's place, and nosier.

Dan flapped the suit pieces, releasing Hell-Ash on the evening breeze and hoping he wasn't losing yet more points with 'Dad' by doing so. He figured it was one thing for Lucifer to do it, but God was probably not too happy about his kids hanging with mortals. He tried not to think too hard either about Lucifer carting around _anything_ from Hell up to earth. And trying not to think about Mazes' face changing and how it had anything to do with Lucifer.

Ash flecks floated away and melted against the dark night, fading to nothing against the stars in the sky. The moon was bright and waxing, he thought. _Someone really did make all that. Or start it anyway._

He fixed his eyes on one star and then another, and another. He knew the ratio of even this much blackness to light was an illusion, that so many of the 'stars' they could see from this level were whole galaxies too far away to distinguish from stars by eye. The void beyond their own home of spinning light was immense. The sky only appeared this full of points of light because they were inside the gravity well of their nest of stars, looking out. Out on the edge of the rim, it would almost look like a true void.

He let himself get a little lost in it.

He remembered reading somewhere, or someone telling him that the earth's sun rested in a relatively large pocket of empty space. It was going to be harder for them to get off this rock than somewhere else. Or maybe harder for aliens to get to them.

Did God plan for His creation ever leaving?

Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Chloe looking up too. He resumed flapping, looking over with a small smile. "Hey."

"Hey. Lucifer's taking a shower. He's going to need help cleaning his wings later. For now, they're just away. He says it doesn't bother him."

"Sounds like it's going to be time-consuming. Does it have to be tonight?"

"We can wait until tomorrow. He doesn't _want_ to unfurl them again until we're ready to help, which means he can't...teleport either. Since no one else has a car here, I'll drop him off in the morning before work. Well, he could teleport, but it would mean opening his wings again and getting more ash everywhere. Most of it's out, but I don't want to clean up indoors and then have to do it again."

"How much worse could it be?"

"' _You don't want to know'_."

Dan flapped the pants he was holding one more time. "He should have just gone back to his balcony or something."

"Remember, he was a little scared about this. He probably wouldn't want to appear in his flat half-blind from ash if something was wrong. That might be why he insisted you leave too, if something was up."

 _Oh, right._ "What do you think it is?"

"Well. I don't think it's anything he's worried about - he said he's vulnerable around me, but I've been thinking. The first time he got shot, I wasn't sure that I wasn't hallucinating. But now I know. He wasn't hurt. His suit was destroyed. He was shot in the back just a few feet from me, more than once. I was passing out from blood loss or shock or something, and he didn't go down. It was the first time we met him."

Dan blinked. "So, that was...before he wanted to sleep with you?"

"Ah, no. He wanted _that_ right away. If he was vulnerable around people he only wanted to sex up, he probably wouldn't have much sex."

"So, it was-Oh shit."

She kept going. "After he started having strong emotions for me, or some kind of feelings that were more than just sexual in nature, yeah." She eyed him, then looked back up at the stars, her face wiped of emotion.

For anyone who didn't know her anyway. "Chloe? What's wrong?"

She put her arms around his waist. "He feels so much more than he lets on. I know that now, and I think you do too. I knew there was a risk of something like that happening, like this, but I didn't know who he was then. I know he's insanely attractive, in both a physical and emotional sense, and pretty irresistible."

The hug was reassuring, but he wished she'd get to the point. He waited.

She continued, stars reflecting in her eyes, "he likes you. Too. I'm not going to ask him not to."

Dan knew he shouldn't ask, but, "would it be different if he wasn't who he said he was?"

She stayed quiet for a few seconds longer. Then sighed. "No. I love him too much for that. I can't say I'd want to _expand_ our little circle, this is complicated enough, I think."

His heart sped up at 'our'. "Does that mean you aren't kicking me out of it?"

Chloe leaned up and kissed him. "I thought about this a little while you were on your way over. I said 'yes' to you years ago and I don't regret it. The window while we were apart made room for Lucifer. Maybe it was supposed to happen this way."

Dan put an arm around her, kissing her hair. "Well, that seems extra complicated to be on purpose. Not to mention the fact I'm responsible for someone's death in the process. The divorce wasn't easy on Trixie either."

She looked embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry. I'm responsible for some deaths, too. It was easier when I was just an atheist."

"Everything you feel responsible for was In the line of duty. Most of the officers who are out on the street have drawn their weapon at some point or another. Not all have fired it, thankfully. But this isn't a safe job."

"I would be happier if it were just me making him this way, I won't lie about that. But I'm awfully tempted to have him not follow us around at work so much."

"That's kind of funny, isn't it? That he _wants_ this job?"

Chloe sighed. "Come to bed, we're all exhausted and I'm pretty sure that suit is completely ruined anyway. We can ask him heavier questions later when my brain works again."

Dan needed a few extra seconds to make sure he was interpreting what she said correctly. "You don't want me to sleep in Maze's room?"

She snorted. "Maze absolutely hates it when anyone messes with her stuff, and the couch is covered in ash. I"m going to have to call a cleaner tomorrow and figure out what to tell Trixie."

"Oh."

Pecking him on the cheek, she added, "but even if the couch was clean, you should probably stay with us anyway. I like group cuddles."

He attempted and failed to rein in a stupid grin while coming back inside.

Lucifer, clean and under a few sheets, at least smiled when Dan followed Chloe in, but he still looked a little rattled.

Chloe leaned down and kissed him, then invited Dan to take a quick shower with her as they were both dusted with hell debris.

Dan thought of baptisms for some reason.

He got out of his clothes for the second time that night, briefly startled by a low wolf-whistle from Lucifer. Chloe told him to be quiet and Dan smirked, but for once, didn't blush. He didn't even think too hard about the quick shower, remaining mostly practical while scrubbing Chloe's back for her. She turned to repay the favor and was less restrained to be just methodical, gently cleaning him without irritating his patchwork of marks. She kissed his back a few times over teeth marks and he closed his eyes and enjoyed it.

They exchanged towel duties and it was so much like their early days he couldn't help but smile. Chloe did too, purring a murmur of thanks at drying her off. They kissed then, fully naked but not awkwardly so. Chloe nipped his ear and placed a sucking kiss very near one of Lucifer's as he looked at her lean back in the mirror, his darker arms around her small waist.

Lucifer was nearly fidgeting by the time they got back, Dan taking an extra minute to think about bill statements so he wouldn't walk back out with a raging hard on. He at least found some boxers to wear to bed.

Having Lucifer in the middle seemed to work well, so she pulled on underwear, got the lights off and curled up against his right side, slipping an arm around his bare midsection.

She realized this was the first time they were all in bed together without the expectation of sex - not that it hadn't recently happened.

Dan sat on the edge of the mattress, a little raw-nerved.

Lucifer was having none of it. With supernatural speed and strength, he tugged Dan in to his other side, turning to big spoon him. Chloe easily readjusted, thinking about the logistics of going back and forth between places. Well, there were worse problems to have.

Like an ash-covered living room.

Sigh.

She heard Dan's not-quite-grumble, and Lucifer's apology. "I'm sorry I left you unsatisfied, Daniel. I'm not used to changes happening in, well, mortal lifespans. I fled without thinking about your well-being, and I apologize. If I were being targeted or some such, I didn't want you to be close enough to be, too."

"Everything's fine, right? Just a new development?"

"I'm still not dealing with _emotions_ well. I feel like I owe you a better evening."

Dan yawned, settling, already deciding he could well get used to being cuddled by Lucifer, which was somehow different from hugging. "You'll figure out how to make it up to me, I'm not worried."

The muscled arm around his body drifted from gently touching his neck, sliding down over a nipple. Dan stiffened out of reflex, pushing fully into Lucifer's warm chest. Long, increasingly familiar fingers slipped down his sternum to abs, caressing his flat stomach. He skimmed lower, his forearm over Dan's hips. A hand grasped him directly, lightly and Dan breathed in with a soft sigh, suddenly glad he hadn't been alone in the shower and taken care of himself there.

Chloe's hand brushed between their hips, where she could reach. He felt Lucifer open his legs a little, and her hand disappeared, doing something to Lucifer to make him push hard against Dan with a low groan.

He whispered in Dan's ear, low and sultry. "I could make it up to you right now. I believe the current rule is to be quiet, however."

Dan pressed his ass back against the line of Lucifer's body, who clearly really was happy to take care of things for him, judging by the hard line up against his backside, trapped between them. Behind them, Chloe sounded like she was kissing Lucifer's back, shifting lower down. Her hand reached further, gently stroking Dan's balls, her forearm putting pressure on Lucifer's.

How could he say no to that offer?


	25. Snatched

Lucifer can tell when a day promises to be good.

Right now for example, morning light is creeping in, the spawn is nearby but not present and there's at least one spare full suit in the closet. And that it won't clash with what he wore yesterday. Having to trash the old one due to Hell exposure isn't exactly a new problem, but it's aggravating when it happens. Hell has no appreciation for design. Or anything else, really.

And he's waking up in a pile of warm, naked detectives.

You really need six for a decent 'pile', but this was quite fun too. Better even, now that they both were less nervous waking up near each other. Honestly, you'd think they hadn't seen each other naked multiple times over any number of years. People picked the weirdest things to get squicky over.

He made a mental note to find out when their original anniversary was. Humans liked that sort of thing, he knew.

There is, however, a downside of waking up first. Near his left ear, a sawmill appeared to be processing wet wood. Lucifer considered yanking out a few feathers and stuffing some in his ears, but it would require wing deployment, which wasn't an option. He should ask Daniel how he put up with it in the past; clearly, he was having no trouble at the moment, sleeping like a log.

A warm, enticing log.

Hmmm. He touched strongly defined arm muscles on one side of his body and a curved waist on the other. Chloe was turned away too, her soft, round butt pressed into his hips, but nothing else touching him. The rest of her curled almost off the side of the bed, one foot out in mid-air, the blankets pushed down around their knees.

They really need a larger bed here.

A light knock tapped politely on the other side of the door. "Moooooooom? Did you forget your alarm?"

Lucifer jerked silently in mild panic, glancing at the parents like one of them would sleepwalk and deal with the problem. Chloe didn't always want the child to know when he was over.

Fortunately for him, said detective immediately shot bolt upright, lunging for the covers and dragging them over everyone. "Shi-oooooot! What time is it? Nevermind, I'm getting up!"

Interesting reflexes on the blanket grabbing and pulling. He sighed in relief.

Chloe ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back over her shoulders and speaking to her offspring in a pitched tone that carried across the room. "Monkey? Hey, just give me a minute, okay? Don't come in! I'll be right out!"

There was a pause. "Mom. Are you naked?"

He grinned up at her, and she noticed he was awake. She gave him one of her exasperated looks, the one in particular that he found most adorable. He pinched her ass for good measure.

" _Ah!_ " _Glare_. "-Uh, nope. Just. Uhm."

Lucifer tsked, lightly stroking her ass to make up for the pinch. "Lying to the child? Starting the day off with one of my least favorite sins?"

Chloe swatted him. Dan appeared to be in a coma-like state of deep sleep, face down in the pillow, undisturbed by the ruckus. Trixie, from the other side of the door, giggled. "Hi, Lucifer! I'll go get my breakfast."

He pulled her down for a kiss, which she gave him with an impatient smile, before pulling up again. "Crap. The living room!"

Trixie was already back, shoving the door open. "MOM! Something exploded!-"

Chloe _leapt_ out of bed, crouching a bit and blocking the opening door with her body. She had the edge of the door in a death grip to keep it from swinging open further. "It's okay, I'm coming out, just give me a second? Nothing bad happened, Lucifer just made a huge mess, okay?"

Trixie peered at her through the opening, trying to look past her, unsuccessfully. "What the heck did he _do_?"

She winced. "He…uhm. Did something impulsive. It's okay now, it'll get it cleaned up before you get back home from school today, alright? Nothing to worry about."

Daniel yawn-snorted and pushed up deliciously against Lucifer's side, his back to him. He wiggled minutely, pressing the warm soles of his feet up against Lucifer's left calf.

Trixie squinted suspiciously at the odd sounds.

Chloe muttered something to her daughter in a rushed together squeak and shut the door in her face. She stood there a few seconds longer, leaning her forehead against the wall. It made for a lovely view of her backside, he thought.

He lazily drew patterns with his fingers on Daniel's hip under the blankets. "Why on earth are you worried about her seeing me naked but not you? She's going to be an adult fairly soon, you know." Daniel squirmed against him, not quite awake. His hand blindly grabbed Lucifer's and pulled it across his middle. The angle was a little awkward.

Without turning around, and not without a small groan, she spoke to the wall. "I'm her mother, Lucifer, we used to take baths together. Before you ask, no, it tends to be a mom-daughter thing or a father-son thing, so she hasn't bathed with Dan since she was too small to remember. She doesn't need to see _you_ naked. Ever. I don't care how old she gets. And thanks for reminding me my little girl is growing up and that I'll probably have to buy her freaking tampons and a training bra in a year or two."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

"Arrrggg."

Daniel reached back again, patting for more blanket, and found something else. He stirred, much more awake now, palming Lucifer under the covers.

A _very_ good way to wake up indeed. He reflexively arched against Daniel's hand.

Chloe eyed them for one deliciously considering second. Lucifer tried giving her one of his best sexy looks, but she sighed and broke up any potential party in the making, pointing out that some people had work to get to. On time, this time, reminding him quietly that sex was not a valid excuse to be late.

It a was valid excuse in _his_ book. Just ask anyone working for him. Maybe he should write that book, or have it written. Daniel unreasonably tugged a pillow over his head when asked his opinion on a such a book.

Chloe rolled her eyes and hunted for a relatively fresh bra. Lucifer enjoyed the view until she yanked the blankets back off them both and told them to get moving. She inexplicably added something about mothering more children than she gave birth to.

His remaining bed partner stretched, now fully awake and rolling over to pin Lucifer with a kiss, who happily encouraged it. Daniel's arm went around his waist, pulling tight. "Five more minutes, _mom?_ "

Chloe nailed Dan in the face with a throw pillow.

Lucifer helpfully commented, "oh, _that's_ why they're called that!"

She hoisted another. "Get up!"

Lucifer propped his long legs up on a chair next to Chloe's desk, waiting to be useful, carefully nibbling a croissant from the break room.

Chloe and Dan went about their jobs, attending a morning meeting that officers and detectives together populated next to Cain's office. The two ended up standing next to each other, unintentionally if he was any good at reading body language. He wasn't but it was something he was working on.

He watched, their backs to him, heads tilted together at first, discussing something or other. Five minutes into the meeting, they stood up straighter. Attentive. Chloe asked Cain something that must have been related to a case, as her posture was stiff and she was taking notes. Daniel stood back against a far wall, working his jaw slightly, but beyond that, Lucifer couldn't read him. Across the bullpen, Cain drilled Lucifer with a look that probably was pointed but he couldn't pin what it was in reference to.

He shrugged to himself, noting Ella's late entrance. She trudged in, holding a loose paper mask up to her face. Lucifer, despite his supernatural immunities, avoided all things disgusting. Well, most things disgusting. His concern for his bevy of favorite coworkers, and her proximity, urged him out of his chair. "Ms. Lopez? Are you feeling alright?"

She clenched the mask, pulling it a little away from herself to speak. "Just a little weird. Kinda feverish? But not really? _Something_ has been creeping up on me for a few days. Hopefully it's not the flu. But I've never had a cold before that made me want to go shopping for-" She blinked, changing the subject, "uh!-How are you? You look good."

He felt his face pinch slightly, ignoring that she cut herself off. "I might owe the Detective a new living room set, but other than that, I'm having a lovely morning."

He popped another piece of bread into his mouth, and she watched him intently, licking her lips. Her eyebrows crawled upwards, her cheeks a little blushed from the indicated fever. "Uhm. Chloe's furniture? Did you...break something this morning?"

"No, I accidentally got Hell-ash on everything late last night. It probably settled into the couch cushions by now, though the cleaners should be there soon. What did you think I did?" Lucifer took a step closer. She smelled different than what he was used to - _oh hello, aroused?_

She pulled her shirt out a little, flapping it. "Oh! Uhm. You've never broken furniture before? Doing things? You seem like you would have broken a bed frame or two at some point in your life."

" _Things_? You mean sex, of course. Oh, yes, certainly. Not in the last few hundred years. Beds are a lot sturdier these days. Mine's reinforced, just in case, but it hasn't really been an issue. That said, I avoid IKEA - nothing stops a good orgy in its tracks quite like the cracking crash of an ill-fabricated chair."

Ella unlocked her lab, nodding at him to follow her inside. "Hey, listen, I need to talk to you about the evidence you grabbed from the lab. Did you bring it back?"

"I couldn't let that languish here, it's not coming back, sorry, not sorry." _And it's not safe in human hands, in any case._

She growled. "Lucifer! You can't just take things that have already been cataloged! I need that back for the murder case. Or cases, depending on what actually happened. That was lodged in the sexy murder weapon! And I still don't know why!" She unloaded her shoulder bag, slapping light switches on as she moved.

"Well, unfortunately, those murders appear to be Hellish in origin. Maze is taking care of the problem, so there should not be any further deaths. The creature shouldn't have gotten out of Hell in the first place, but-"

Ella grumbled under her breath, circling her table and stalking back up to face him. "Lucifer, seriously, sometimes, I just want to…"

"Yes, darling?" He popped another piece of croissant into his mouth, chewing. He licked his thumb, flicking a crumb off his face. Her eyes followed his fingers, his mouth, hungry. She came up very close to him, raising her hands up in a claw-like motion. "Ella?"

She leapt at him, growling. Her usual hug-attack turned into something more interesting when she kissed him soundly, standing on her toes to do it. Her eyes flashed, shining and a bit unfocused. She tangled her hand in the hair on the back of his head, pulling him down to her level with unusual strength.

For a split second, he was back in his club, months ago, locking lips with whomever he pleased. Ella's body, however, was too warm, her lips flushed and her face feverish. He attempted to disengage, but her arms around his neck were tight, locked. He muttered her name in protest against her lips to get her attention, but she used the chance to kiss him deeply, opening her mouth and digging into his with her hot tongue.

It wasn't the least sexy kiss of his life, but it broke the top ten list, which was saying something.

A sharp rap on the door announced Chloe, who rushed in a second later, "What on earth are you two doing?"

Lucifer attempted to convey with his eyes that this wasn't his idea, since pulling away didn't seem to be a viable option. He grunted.

It didn't seem to be working for the first second or two, then Chloe's eyes widened and she pulled on Ella when she didn't even try to unplaster herself from Lucifer. If anything, she grew more determined and slid one hand low down his back, dragging her fingernails down his spine. "Ella, honey, seriously, you need to breathe."

Which gave Lucifer the idea to reach up and pinch her nose when she flat-out ignored Chloe hanging off her. A few seconds later, her eyes flew open and she dropped down with a snort as he let go of her face. "What?" Ella looked between the two of them, stepping back. "Oh, my God, did I just mouth rape you, Lucifer? I don't know what happened, I'm so sorry!"

She was fanning herself absently, her face and neck still flushed and red. Lucifer brushed himself off, idly wondering if the pastries were contaminated somehow. "Darling, I'm well used to humans throwing themselves at me, but you don't look quite right, Ms. Lopez."

Chloe mostly gently shoved her down into a chair and pulled her chin up to look in her eyes. Her pupils were blown wide and her skin was dry. "Something's off but I don't think I've heard of any flu doing something like this. She's got a fever though. Lucifer, see if you can find a thermometer, Ella should have a few kinds in here."

She tapped a quick text to Dan, who had remained in the meeting. He must have missed the commotion.

Ella looked woozy but more focused than she was a moment ago. Her blushing wasn't due only to fever. "I'm sorry Lucifer."

He patted her on the head to show there were no hard feelings on his part, then turned to do as the Detective instructed. Ella pulled his arm down and hugged it against herself, nuzzling it. He didn't object to the cuddling, exactly, but she still wasn't in her right mind.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Fine, you watch her, I'll probably have better luck finding a thermometer anyway." She did locate one quickly - a laser scanner that didn't require getting too close to Ella's mouth or any other orifice. She frowned over the display. "Yup. Fever. Good thing you can't get sick, Feathers."

Lucifer made a face at her and tugged his arm out of Ella's grasp. "I don't think it's microbes, detective. And we need to have a discussion about pet names." Or tried to, since she held tightly to his arm.

"Was she like this when she came in? She seemed okay yesterday."

He thought back. "She might have been a little flushed yesterday too, but I wasn't watching for that sort of thing. It's certainly not odd for humans to be turned on around me, but this is different for Ella."

Chloe arched an eyebrow. "Ella, were you trying to have sex with Lucifer?"

Their scientist blinked, her face still against his arm. "Mmmmmm. I've been wanting to try that. He's so yummy."

"Well...I mean, he is. What could this be if not some bizarre strain of the flu?"

"Something supernatural." He pulled her hands off him by the wrists, finally, turning them over in his much larger ones, looking over her arms and wrists. "Would you help me check her for scratches?"

Ella's eyes came up, her face grimacing but clearing up for a second. "My finger. The claw thing pricked me through my glove." Her eyes refocused on his neck where his shirt rested open at the collar. She growled.

He missed her gaze, focused on her hands. He found it, barely a needle prick on her index finger, swollen around the small wound, like a tick or spider bite. "Good thing it's not worse than that. You didn't jump any strangers on the way in, did you, Ella?"

She cleared her throat, wrenching her eyes down to his hands. "Nooooo...No. I didn't. It's, uhm, just you. I think. But thinking of you and Dan together-" She closed her mouth, blushing furiously. "What did I just say?"

Chloe tapped her foot. "Luce, I take it you know what's going on?"

"The demoness that Maze is tracking, Namaah, she and I have history."

"I imagine the whole _world_ has history with you. Should we leave Ella alone? Take her back to her place? Or a hospital?"

"Maze is busy. A doctor might be able to deal with some of her symptoms, but not all of them. She needs the taint flushed from her body, and it's been in there a few days now."

She bit her lip. "Is that something you can do? Does it require anything...weird?"

"I'll have to touch her with my wings. I'm not sure how long it'll take, but it shouldn't be long. I need a place to do it. Here is out of the question. If Amenadiel had his wings, he could do it instead."

"Oh, okay, that's not terrible." Chloe looked oddly relieved for the revelation Ella would 'only' have to be wrapped up in angel wings.

"What did you think I meant?"

"I mean, with you, the options are, well." She gestured up and down his body.

His tone edged into annoyance. "Detective, I assure you I would find some other way. Purging her of this won't involve putting something else into her, and if it needs be, I'd still find some other method, as she's in no condition to consent to such a thing. Namaah is a lust demon. Consent isn't...well, let's just say demons aren't _my_ creation. With most of them, 'soulless' means more than simply not having one. I got lucky with Maze."

Ella blinked several times. "This is way more method acting than I am able to deal with right now."

Chloe bit her lip. "I don't suppose she could be asleep for the wing thing?"

 _Why is nothing ever simple?_ "If you or Daniel could drop her off at my flat, we can deal with her tonight. It's already been a few days, so waiting until after the workday shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh, right, you need to be groomed first, don't you?"

He made a face. "I need to be as free from Hell contamination as possible, yes."

Chloe squeezed Ella's shoulder. "Can't we, I dunno, try to reach one of your brothers or sisters? One who would be willing to help?"

"It'll take longer than just cleaning me up, likely. I'm more familiar with the demon in question, _and_ I'm an archangel. Most of my brothers and sisters are not - the ones who are, are less reasonable than even Amenadiel. They wouldn't help."

"If we got someone else, you wouldn't have to leave work - I know that sounds like an odd thing to say, but Pierce is giving me serious creeps now and I can't seem to stop feeling weird about being around him, now that I know why."

Lucifer sighed. "Well, if she must be exposed to angel wings, she'll find out about the rest of my family sooner or later, I suppose." He petted Ella a bit more. "Michael's right out, as I said."

Chloe rubbed her face. "Who do you trust the most? Or hate the least?"

"There's Raph, a step above 'regular' angel but less powerful than I. Amenadiel is more or less human now, but he might know how to get a hold of him."

"You can't?"

"I _can_ but I'd rather not."

Ella muttered something.

Chloe bent her head. "What's that, Ella?"

"How about my friend, Rae-Rae?"

"Who's that?"

Ella grabbed Lucifer's hand again, pressing it against her face. It burned alarmingly hot. The demonic poison seems to have accelerated over the last hour or so. She spoke softly, "good friend. Watches over me."

Lucifer and Chloe exchanged uncertain glances. She looked around to make sure everyone else was still in the meeting, lowering her voice and dropping into 'Mom' mode. "Honey, Lucifer says we need someone really good. I don't know who Rae-Rae is." She looked up to him over her head. "I think she's gotten worse."

"She has." He huffed. "Fine, I'll call Amenadiel now and get him-"

With a pop of air, a diminutive, short-haired woman appeared with a sound that Chloe could only register as 'angry flapping', who grabbed Ella, shot an angry look at Lucifer while fluffing black wings then vanished again.

Papers burst upward with her arrival and exit, drifting down again in a fluttering mess that _definitely_ drew the attention of everyone in the meeting.

Lucifer blinked. "Well, that's one problem solved. I just have to find out where Azrael took Ella." He straightened, eyes shifting ever so slightly. "Nevermind, she's at Ella's place."

"How-?"

"Angels don't have to speak out loud to communicate, dear."

"Since you aren't running off right away, I'm going to assume that the scary woman who just kidnapped Ella isn't dangerous to her."

"She's the Angel of Death. I haven't seen her in centuries. Honestly, I didn't think she would want to talk to me after the Blade thing. Since I kind of deliberately threw it away."

Dan yanked the lab door open, looking baffled. "What just happened?"

Lucifer crossed his arms. "If you'd just come over with Chloe I wouldn't have to repeat myself. Azrael kidnapped Ella to save her."

"I dare you to make less sense."

Chloe started grabbing papers. "Your family doesn't do subtle, do they? Help me clean this up and we'll go. I'll find a witness to interview or something on the way back. And so help me, some work is going to get done today or one of you is getting strangled."

Lucifer gave her a grin. "Kinky."

Dan at least gave him a friendlier look than Chloe, bending to help her clean up. "Who is Azrael? Why does that sound familiar?"

Ella drowsily woke. The last several hours were a blur and she found herself in a sack. Or something. Inside a feather pillow? Things both soft-edged and pointed surrounded her, but the only feather pillows she's seen were goose-down, white and soft.

There wasn't much light wherever she was, but she could see enough to tell that these feathers were pitch-black, like a raven's.

The feathers covering her body were at odds with narrow arms around her waist, though she didn't feel like she was about to be eaten by a huge bird in any case.

An angel with an almost child face looked up as Lucifer entered Ella's apartment. Her wings ruffled in a possessive ripple that started from her shoulders and cascaded to the tips covering Ella.

Chloe stepped around from behind him and got growled at by an all-black cat. She crouched near Ella and Azrael, grabbing a cushion in the shape of the Millennium Falcon and holding it in her lap. Lucifer and the cat looked at each other. Out loud, he grumbled, "Salem wants me to feed him?"

Ella made a muffled reply under the wings. She could barely see through black, shining feathers. Azrael allowed her head to be exposed. "Aw, you paid attention to my cats' names! And no, don't feed him. He's being a dick." Her voice was sleepy and her eyes fell closed. What they could see of her looked comfortable, and her face was no longer flushed with fever.

"There's more of them here? And no, he told me he found the name you gave him to be acceptable so he uses it." He shut the door and glared at Salem. Staring at him, he said, "You seem awfully attached to your little human, Az."

A very familiar voice replied from behind her. "She thinks, or _thought_ , that I am a ghost. She may not remember this. I was hoping I wouldn't have to intervene, but I'll be darned if I'm letting anyone else but you do this." She sounded adorably cross.

Ella craned her head back, trying to see a face. "Rae-Rae?"

Chloe nearly smiled, "You're...you're the angel of death?"

"Don't forget the capital letters, girly. I've got this handled, if you want to go."

Lucifer looked down his nose at the huddled mass of feathers and beings. And, apparently, another cat, he thought. "Would it have killed you to say hello?"

Chloe held her breath.

Azrael sighed. "No, I suppose not. I need to focus on Ella right now, okay? Can you _please_ not let her get clawed by any more demon parts?"

"It wasn't my intention for it to happen in the first place." He finally, gingerly sat next to Chloe, tossing a Porg-shaped cat toy off the seat cushion. "Did you note anything of interest when those humans died? Did you see Naamah, by chance?"

"Sorry, no. If I had, I would have told you just now, or returned her to Hell myself. You could talk to those souls yourself, you know."

He glared. "No, I'd rather not. Mazikeen is out hunting her. It shouldn't take much longer. Shouldn't have taken this long to begin with, really."

Ella felt her eyes getting heavy again. She felt oddly okay with everything. She searched around inside herself, and didn't feel the urge to claw her way out of the wings and go after Lucifer again. "I'm sorry, Luc'fer."

If anything, he looked more distressed. "I promise you that I'm fine, please don't feel badly. I need to find out how she got out in the first place."

The warmth began to lull her to sleep, the small body under her comfortable and urging her to rest again. The last thing she made out clearly was Rae-Rae's voice, "ex-wives, am I right?"


	26. Cain is a Dick Water is Wet

Dan really wanted to know how his life got like this.

Unfortunately, pondering it had to wait. At least a few hours anyway.

Maze had tracked the demon down. Ella was with 'Azrael, the Angel of Death', and Lucifer had Hell-ash in his goddamn-fuck-whatever wings.

Someone spotted the murderess, or rather, the human form of the demon, out on a hiking trail in the woods, which meant several police officers and other civil servants were now out in the field, including him. Most of the civilians had been herded out, at least the ones they could find so far, but the park was a big place. At least they had daylight on their side.

Between the sun glaring overhead and the various eye-witnesses though, Maze couldn't get close enough to get her without being seen and therefore explain what she was doing out there. Lucifer was on his way and Chloe was spitting mad about something, according to his texts.

A pair of hikers rubbernecked near him by the side of the road overlooking the park. Dan waited for the Devil and Chloe in the parking lot closest to an entrance to a trail. When the hikers didn't appear to want to move on, he gestured at them. "Hey, split, this isn't television!"

The taller woman grumbled but obeyed, and they hoofed it back to their car. At least some people listened to him. Once they were out, the lot would be sufficiently closed to incoming traffic. One last well-known vehicle pulled through the entrance, which the hikers glared at.

The bone-deep rumble of the Corvette announced the arrival of the two as it pulled in. The pair of women watched it go by as they climbed into their car, Lucifer's hair lightly wafting in the open air. Chloe sat stiffly next to him, arms crossed and her hair up in a rough bun. They weren't looking at each other.

 _Now what?_

Chloe jumped out before Lucifer could walk around and open her door, stalking up to Dan. Lucifer bore his 'someone is taking a thing entirely out of context and it's not my fault' expression.

 _Oh, God._

 _No, wait._

Lucifer followed her with long strides, his voice becoming clearer as they moved closer. "Darling, you have a significant ex yourself! And I'm more or less the only celestial being who doesn't lie. The rest do, or at least muck about with the truth."

 _Motherflunker._

Chloe growled over her shoulder. "An ex which you already knew about. Quite well, I might add."

Dan debated strongly on simply bolting into the woods to help with the search. One such group included Pierce, who loitered nearby as he gave instructions. Dan eyed Lucifer, who didn't seem to care he was still in a tight-fitting suit, about to presumably go trail hiking with them. "What's going on?"

She took in a deep breath, just remembering in time to look around for more people within earshot. "Nahma-"

Lucifer caught up. "Namaah."

She glared daggers at him, and Dan was infinitely happy it wasn't at him this time. "What about her? The demon that we're looking for?"

"She's Lucifer's ex-wife."

"His _what_ now?"

The Devil huffed. "I told you, she's not an ex- _wife_ , merely an ex-long-term consort. Azrael's comment was only meant to be inflammatory, presumably to get us out of her hair, which succeeded, by the way. One doesn't _marry_ in Hell. In fact, sometimes throwing ex-spouses into the same cell for a period of time is extremely effective as punishment."

Dan allowed his mouth to work before his brain caught up. "How long were you together? Is that even the right word?"

He shrugged, trying to look casual about it. It failed. "A thousand years. Give or take."

His mouth went dry. "Give or take _what?"_

"A hundred years? In Hell? Which really is all relative, mind you. Hardly comparable."

Chloe growled. "Lucifer."

"Eight hundred sixty-four years, in total, in any way you want to count it. Then we had a bad argument and she left. I repeat, there are no nuptials in Hell, detectives. No bouquets were thrown, no cake was to be had _at all_ , there wasn't even a _courting_ period. Calling her my ex- _anything_ is pure hyperbole. She's a lust demon! She just showed up one day and started fucking my brains out. She's quite good at it, you understand."

Fingers hid her face. "Lucifer. Can I or should I ask why she left?"

"Jealousy, naturally. She walked in on Mazikeen and I-"

Her face appeared, pale and reluctantly from behind her hands. "Wait, you _cheated_ on your demon lover?"

He looked lost. "She had her own cadre of lovers, darling. She just liked me the most, with good reason. For a long time. Demons rarely have any kind of creativity in the bedroom, so to speak." He grinned. "This one time, I was hanging around in my throne room, in between petitioners, and she climbed up right on top of me, naked as you please-"

Dan asked, "Did she...have any reason to think you were uh, committed to her in particular? Why would she be jealous?"

"You didn't let me finish! Maze was one of my best torturers. Namaah wanted a job change, gave it a try but wasn't terribly good at it. She couldn't contain herself. Specific punishments require steady control and she didn't have it in her - lust demon and all, you understand. She had to be outright banned from those levels and confined to her regular ones. She thought she could use her position with me as a bargaining chip. She stepped over the line with that bit of attempted manipulation and was then permanently banned from my presence as well. I don't tolerate that sort of insubordination."

Chloe and Dan shared a look. Or three. She did that thing where she collects her thoughts, files them away for later and then schooled her face into her best 'goddammit I'm a cop' expression. It was one of Dan's favorite things about her - she could turn back into a professional on a dime, no matter what insanity was happening at the moment, and she didn't forget it later, merely saved it away for a better time. She looked hard at Lucifer. "Okay, fine, the past is the past and it sounds like it's going to stay that way. Is there anything we need to know about her, her habits or any special traits before we go into the woods? Anything the police or civilians should know? Can she change what she looks like? Wings or anything like that?"

"Don't let her touch you and definitely don't let her break your skin if she does. There's a reason demons usually can't get out of Hell by themselves. She had to have help doing so. Most demons don't have wings and the ones that do use them to get around inside Hell, not get out of it. When they _do_ have them, they're pretty classically accurate - dragon or bat wings and used as weapons, much like mine can be."

"Okay, is there some reason she's _not_ after _you_? What else would she want up here if not revenge or something?"

"She didn't seek me out because she knew I'd return her to Hell. She also needed to be close by for some reason, or she could have just gone to Alaska. Perhaps she wanted to be caught, eventually. Demons don't think the same way that humans do. She's more like the proverbial scorpion and the weasel or whatever it was crossing the river."

"Fox, I think. At least she hasn't murdered anyone else. That we know of, right?"

A new voice interjected, " _who_ hasn't murdered anyone else?"

The three turned to regard Pierce, who snuck up on them, with varying expressions of unease. Lucifer unconsciously stepped between him and the detectives. Chloe was having none of it, shifting to stand next to him.

Pierce glanced at Dan, nastily bemused. "I guess I know now who the _sub_ is. I can't say I'm surprised."

Dan flushed and reactively touched his collarbone where he knew one of many still sensitive love bites lived on his skin. He knew he was making a face, tried to immediately stop and realized he was just making the whole thing worse for himself. Then he remembered _he_ was the one getting well and thoroughly laid, not Pierce, and let himself grin just a little. He shrugged. "It's not _all_ whips and chains, you know." _Sometimes it's just plain fun._

Lucifer, incapable of lying, weighed his options, answering the actual question. "My escaped demon. Surely you're aware the suspect isn't human."

Pierce squinted. "Can you not with the Devil antics right now? Is that why you're even out here today, because one of your demons is responsible, _apparently_?"

"The one demon barely listens to me as it is, what makes you think any of the rest of them are 'mine'? Most of them can't be reasoned with. Do you know how many I had to outright destroy when I got there? It was worse than _Jurassic Park._ "

A flash of surprise crossed his face then he smoothed it. He spared Chloe a quick glance but locked back onto Lucifer, debating on just how much of that statement he wanted clarified. "But you're going to deal with it anyway? I assume you have some sort of plan when _she's_ taken into custody by us when we find her first. Any Satanic cult-y recommendations for dealing with her?"

Lucifer gave him a dirty look, and not the fun kind, but responded, "give her space. Don't let any humans get to her first. I'd much prefer if you'd let Maze do her job and you to clear everyone else out; there's no reason to even include the officers, and you could call it off if you wanted."

Pierce barely registered a change in expression. "And how do your colleagues feel about just calling them off the job? Or are they taking instructions from you now, instead of me? This is _my_ job, not _yours_. Or Maze's, for that matter. If you want to be a Police Lieutenant so badly, you should go through some sort of actual training as an officer." His boss flashed Lucifer another look, remembering Dan and Chloe were still present and eyeing them. "How about we discuss these issues privately, so my people can go get some work done?"

Dan winced, internally. He was taking it as a power play, a challenge to his authority rather than just trying to keep people safe against bad odds. Who the hell did Pierce blow to get this gig, anyway?

Lucifer could make his face nearly unreadable when he wanted to. His words, not so much. "Yes, of course. They have enough information regarding the present situation. Detectives?"

Chloe's shoulders went stiff. Dan couldn't see her face from where he was, but her voice was angry and directed at Pierce. "Whatever you need to say, you can say. We know who you are, and I, for one, can't keep pretending I don't."

Lucifer groaned. Chloe crossed her arms. Dan coughed.

Cain's eyes shifted from him to Dan and Chloe and back, poker-faced. He opened his mouth, closed it. "So they know about you, too. Both of them? You have any other of my employees you plan on bringing into the fold?"

Dan winced. Chloe's lips went flat. She shook her head. "We aren't talking about him, we're talking about you."

"Well, he said _something_ , obviously. Or did something." Pierce tilted his head fractionally. "You got your face back all of a sudden?"

Dan tried really hard not to react. He really did. Cain noticed. "Of course, if you had, these two would be on the other side of the country by now. Or in a convent. Monastery? I guess you showed them something _else_ to convince them."

Lucifer tensed. "I'm still the Devil without my face."

"Right. Never did get to see your wings. I bet they're _pretty_." His comment sounded off the cuff, but he was looking for a response. The Lieutenant eyed Dan and he internally cursed with a long string of unsavory words about himself. Cain continued, "yeah, they must be. I should have guessed they're as nice looking as the rest of you. I got a good look at Amenadiel's, you know, a long-ass time ago." His pale eyes traveled up and down Lucifer, deliberately, sensually. "I always wondered if the wings on different angels are all the same color or not."

"I'm no longer an angel, but it's not necessarily any loss that you haven't seen them. I should have tried cutting your throat with the flight feathers when you wanted to die. Not sure why we didn't get that far. Still on the table, if you want to give it a go?"

His gaze went utterly flat. "Sure, how about right now?"

When Lucifer didn't move, he leaned in slightly, speaking quietly, but not exactly in hushed tones. "If you had, my blood would have sprayed all over those bird legs of yours. Probably would have put a damper on the evening, but hey, whatever floats your ark." He straightened, not looking at Chloe or Dan. As if he had just made some light conversation, he raised his voice enough to be overheard by nearby officers and added a friendly tone, clapping Lucifer on the shoulder. "Hey, how about we go solve this case?"

Without waiting, he turned and left.

Dan kept himself from throwing a rude gesture. They were still in view of a dozen fellow policemen and other coworkers.

Chloe's jaw dropped. "I can't believe I ever wanted to sleep with him."

Dan and Lucifer both stared at her. "What?"

Lucifer added, "I mean, I'm not one to judge, but I'm the monster here, not you."

She gritted her teeth. "Ella pointed out that he has nice arms. And no, you aren't."

The Devil brightened slightly. "Oh, yes, he does. If it helps, his cock isn't all that and a handbasket."

Dan wasn't doing much better than Chloe. "Not my first thought, to be honest."

"You're well above average, unlike him, if you want to compare."

Chloe's face fought a war against a tiny grin. She allowed a smirk. "Oh?" She squeezed Lucifer's hand but didn't do more. She still preferred not to be overly touchy in public, even if her eyes gave her feelings away. Lucifer squeezed back, gratefully, he thought.

Dan couldn't be surprised he had a history in both Hell and on Earth, and he would have to get used to such things if he wanted to keep his shredding sanity together. "Forgive me if I don't bust out a ruler." He smile a little. "Besides, you might ask Chloe to dress in a nun costume and ask her to whack me on the ass with it."

Both Chloe and Lucifer shivered at the same time.

"What?"

Chloe smirked "We tried that. Well, something like that. Before I didn't know he wasn't _in character._ " She added, "plus, that makes you a student, and that's just creepy. You should be a priest instead. Except that could also be creepy. Actually, if or when we do roleplay, let's just keep religious figures out of it entirely. Stick with a nice standard black and white French maid outfit."

"Yeah?" He happened to know Chloe was hot as all fuck in one of those. He wondered if she still had the little hair thing and impractical sexy black heels that went with it.

She smiled, blushing a little. "Lucifer looks great in a little puffy skirt and apron."

A mock-offended gasp came out of Lucifer, who grinned, not shyly. "Detective, you said we shouldn't discuss that outside of the bedroom. But as long as you brought it up, the outfit comes with a silicone-coated handled duster."

Well, he was too big for _her_ outfit, meaning he had his own, which really shouldn't be surprising. Dan's brain helpfully dreamed up some juicy imagery of flipping up said skirt some night soon, yanking down white silk undergarments and pushing him over a table. Fuck, if he had high heels too, Dan wouldn't be able to do him while standing. "Is it frilly?" He swallowed. there's something to be said for digging through a few layers of bunched up petticoats.

Pierce's voice carried loudly from down the hill. "You coming or what?"

Dan, perhaps a _little_ possessively, pecked Lucifer on the lips. Too quietly for anyone but them to hear, he said, "not quite yet." He really didn't give a damn if anyone thought it was unprofessional or not. The Devil had an effect on him.

Lucifer's answering grin left him with a warmth that would last him for hours.

Thinking about the last few days nearly caused Dan to not pay enough attention to his actual job.

Pierce or Cain or whomever volunteered as bait. No one liked it, but no one else really wanted to do it either. Well, Lucifer liked it. He liked it too. Chloe mostly didn't want anyone else to find Cain coming back to life in front of someone. Dan found himself not really giving a shit either way on that aspect.

According to Lucifer, he wasn't invulnerable but consistently rejoined the land of the living, healing from fatal wounds at a supernatural pace. He'd never been killed by a demon before that anyone knew of, but since he'd been killed multiple times by Lucifer, he wasn't really worried about it.

In any case, Dan didn't intend to talk him out of it.

Pierce pulled his workout clothes from the trunk of his car to 'go jogging in'. Eyeing the way the grey tee hugged his form, Dan decided he was pretty much only into Lucifer, as far as men went. Though his perception might be colored by the fact Pierce is a huge asshole who hated him anyway.

Dan kind of hoped he got to see him actually get killed at some point. For educational purposes only, of course.

Chloe stood nearby, her eyes narrowed, maybe going over the same things. Well, some of the same things. He really couldn't picture those two together. Come to think of it, he never asked how she and Lucifer finally worked it out. He hadn't really been aware anything had officially started between them until he picked up Trixie one weekend and Lucifer's car had been in the driveway that morning. He must have been told to hide in the bedroom, but her smile was enough to leave no doubt about the status of her relationship to their consultant.

That and Trixie spilled the beans. His first mental response had been _about goddamn time_ , followed by _How long is she going to put up with his Devil shit?_ Neither of which he said out loud to Trixie, who seemed thrilled by the sitch.

Hands in pockets, he shivered. She and Pierce would have been a disaster.

Said asshole clipped on his radio and jogged off down the trail they thought the demon slash woman might be hanging around. It wasn't too far off from where they found the second and third bodies, the trail wound next to a stream for half a mile and made some good hiding places in deeper brush.

"He cuts a nice figure but I can't say much else for him."

Lucifer had a flask out, dark eyes watching him go. Chloe sat on a stump nearby. They didn't have much to do until the bait got bitten. Texts from Maze told him that she felt like she was getting closer. Lucifer fidgeted.

She hummed. "What the hell is he going to do anyway? She's a demon, right?"

"Perhaps he's still pursuing his death wish. If Maze doesn't have her already, he is the best option to draw her out into the open without hurting more people. Of course, if he really dies, anyone close will be the next target. If she gets fully set off, she may not be easily stopped."

"How did she kill our vics? They weren't clawed up?"

"She stirs passions. She herself didn't murder, but the nature of the beast leaves her responsible all the same." He sounded distant. "She can't help it, it's part of her. All of her. You haven't seen her demon form, it's different from Maze's."

Chloe made a face. This was something to follow up. "She _made_ the victims kill each other?"

"They must have had some sort of latent jealousy already. Most humans do, but not enough to rouse each other. Not enough to act on it, most of the time. Humans have the benefit of a reasoning mind, to counter their passions and base urges. Most of them anyway. Demons generally do not."

"So you're saying they may or may not have eventually killed each other or themselves anyway?"

"The potential was there. Almost always is. The urge to run over someone with a vehicle, for example. You resist it, for several reasons, yet it lingers there in your brain from time to time. Humans follow ideas to the end of possible outcomes, they know there will be dire consequences, but that's not the only reason they choose not to actually murder someone in a position of weakness. You lot may be slightly insane, but you have compassion. There's quite a few of you who wouldn't steal something just because the opportunity presented. Wouldn't murder or even maliciously injure another person even if they could get away with it, because it would still haunt them. Your shorter lives make you all the more aware of it."

"So, demons don't have compassion, but angels do?"

Lucifer grimaced. "Yes and no. When Dad gives an order, it is to be obeyed. Compassion enters not into it. Were He to command, say, Amenadiel to strike down any given human, I believe he would comply - though he did fall for other reasons, perhaps he would disobey our Father in that. Michael wouldn't hesitate, where he instructed to kill either of you. Don't worry though, Dad loves you far too much to do such a thing."

Dan shivered. "You sound very sure about that."

"Even if it happened, you can be sure I'd avenge one or both of you. Or at least try. He's more powerful than I, at least in the Silver City. Then again, I've learned to fight dirty. Maze taught me how to be a bit of a scrapper. I'm not saying I'd win, but I might have a better chance these days. Maybe. The demon itself has no chance against me, so don't worry about that - nor will her past with me influence me not to destroy her if I have to. Cain might have some problems though, if he doesn't have some way to defend himself."

Chloe looked up. "Can you sense her or something? Should we put some distance between us and you just in case she tries to take a human hostage?"

He took a drink. "For your own safety, that's probably best. I'd planned on making up an excuse and going after Cain myself and leaving you two here, to keep her away. I needed to give Running Man enough time to not think I'm following him deliberately."

Dan chewed his tongue. "What if she comes after us?"

"She didn't before. She's very instinctual but she has some sense of self-preservation. As long as you're near a large enough group of people," he nodded to the officers behind him, "you should be fine. She has no reason to target you. If I'm lucky I'll find a clearing to duck into and really shake my wings out. They _itch_."

He still didn't like it. "She was a roommate of the murder victims. Maybe she found some reason to be jealous of them. She has no connection to us."

In the following quiet, Chloe looked off into the trees and crossed her arms. "I hate this part."

"Waiting? Yeah, me too. I'd almost rather be back in the precinct doing paperwork. How is Ella by the way, Luce? I didn't actually get a look at your, what, sister?"

He nodded. "She's doing better, the demon taint is leaving her body but it'll take a few more hours of angelic presence before she's all nice and back to normal again."

"Was she.. Uh, tainted yesterday too? Apparently, she made some remarks to Chloe?"

"If you're asking, I couldn't tell you how much was influenced by the demonic contact and how much she meant. On some level, she _meant_ all of it, you can't bring to the surface what isn't already there."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting you'd be on board with-" She rolled her eyes. "Of course you would be. I don't know why I'm even asking."

Lucifer frowned. "Because your opinion matters, both of you. I'm not going to ask your leave to go shagging every human on the planet. Been there, done most of that anyway. If you recall, Daniel was _your_ idea. Not that I'm complaining, at all." An impish look grew on his face. "I do rather like having steady, consistent company, not to mention exploring boundaries."

Dan jumped a little, shifting his weight. He hadn't considered any of that, Lucifer stopping with just the two of them. Until recently, he wasn't sure he was even a considering factor, let alone a possible permanent one. He let himself roll it around in his head, thinking about the date night they haven't really had yet. Everything could still blow up, but he couldn't argue that the last few mornings hadn't been...fulfilling. Even in non-sexual ways. Maybe especially.

He didn't particularly enjoy hiding in the bedroom until Trixie had gone to school, but he got that she might not understand, at least not without a real talk first. That Chloe wanted to have that talk meant a lot to him.

Chloe gave Lucifer a smirk. "You're talking about my ass, aren't you?"

Lucifer just grinned in a way that made his blood run hot. And he wasn't even looking at _him_.

"Would she be...separate? Ella?"

"You're acting like it's even possible. I don't know if she'd even truly _want_ that kind of thing."

Chloe played with her bullet necklace, biting her lip and thinking hard about something. "She...had in the past. Had been in that kind of relationship, multiple dating partners anyway."

Lucifer mulled it over. A year ago, he would have jumped at the chance. Now, emotions played over his face that told Dan he was serious about this budding relationship of theirs, considering at least Chloe's wants and desires. Maybe he didn't want to further share... _him?_

Nah.


	27. Collision

Maze had been tracking the other demon going on two days now. Despite her care, Namaah must have gotten suspicious, since she got close enough to a human be spotted, on purpose. It took more than one human before an alert went out, but police started showing up quickly after that, cutting off trails and herding people out of the park. Namaah was counting on the fact that Maze wouldn't risk revealing herself around a mortal; she had no problem with it herself, but she knew she was pushing it, knew Lucifer didn't view such things favorably. On the other hand, she wouldn't get clear of the park without Maze on her ass either, so for all intents and purposes she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Maze, after a long morning and a sleepless night, had the other demon dead to rights, about to close in, and then Cain appeared up the trail, 'jogging', the bastard.

Well, this looked fun. Immortal soul vs. no soul at alll. She could just sit back and wait for the dust to settle, depending on what happened next.

Namaah approached him, in her human guise, looking a tad harried. She was wandering off-trail, aware she was being hunted. A distraction could work out nicely for her, and she _needed_ one if she wanted to remain at large. It was only a matter of time now before she'd be too exhausted from running, so she really needed to find a place to hole up in. She'd been wearing the same clothing for a few days now, and it showed, the hems were all dirty and her hair a mess. Demons didn't need to _eat_ per se, but it supplemented energy reserves and she looked a little thin on everything.

Cain came to a stuttering stop, glancing around for observers. Didn't see Maze, naturally. She wasn't noticed if she didn't want to be, and she _didn't_. He stepped back from the ginger-haired demon, a hand on a knife holster, as she closed in on him, smiling lightly. He seemed uncertain about her true nature, hesitating to draw a weapon. Maze carried one of her blades, stilling herself from thumbing a curved edge and making even that much noise. The other remained tucked away for the moment.

Namaah eyed him positively predatorily, then cleared her throat. "Sir, I'm terribly lost, could you point me out of here? Maybe escort me?"

"Sure? We can go back just a few miles that way, an hour or two," he gestured behind him with his thumb. "There are miles and miles of trails here in every direction; if you don't know where you came in it's pretty easy to get stuck going around in loops forever."

Maze smirked. Cain winced as if he heard her amused thoughts, or he just realized what he said.

He shivered but let her get closer to him, right up to his side. His body wound up and tense as she paused nearly touching him, he said, "I know what you are."

She stopped, cocking her hips to one side and touching her lips. "Do you now?"

His throat ran dry. He cleared it, looking down at her. "Something that doesn't belong here."

Her face pinched, a little. "I could say the same of you. You reek of something old. But I like your eyes." She bit one of her nails lightly, worrying it. "We could make a nice, fair trade. The best sex of your life in exchange for getting me the fuck out of here." She smiled playfully as she spoke.

The idiot appeared to consider it, at least from this angle. She shook her hair out and it was suddenly clean and shining in the sun, lying loose about her face. She unbuttoned her tight shorts one-handed, moving seductively, slowly. "You could have me, here and now, later, both, keep me at your place, yours to use as you will." Namaah licked her lips, her gaze pitched demurely at the ground near his feet. "All you have to do is give me safe passage out, tell me where to go and I'm yours."

The look Cain gave her was dangerous and Maze thought he was considering the proposition not from a sex standpoint but from having his own demon at his beck and call. As much as any demon would bind herself to such a promise.

As Namaah slid ever closer, snake-like, she shrank an inch or two in height, restricting her glamour to make herself less threatening. She glanced up at him through thick black lashes.

Then she made a serious mistake.

"You could have me, I can please you more than I ever did Lucifer. He was so easy that I had him on his knees with a word. You look _hard_ , like I'll have to work for you, like you could have me for _hours_ at a time before breaking a sweat." She dragged her finger along her tongue, making a small noise that would have worked on most humans, male or female.

Cain's jaw tightened. That's when he clocked her with a resounding right hook. "I don't trust demons."

She ducked away, staggered, touching her face where blood came dripping down her chin and tongue where she bit herself from the force of the blow.

Then she smiled, a different kind of smile.

Oh, the memories that came racing back with that smile.

"You want it rough? You could hit me all day and I won't fight back. Or maybe you want me to, until you catch me and hold me down and fuck me senseless with your hands around my throat. Even he wouldn't just take me without asking, I bet you won't be so restrained. Don't you want me?"

He rubbed his own throat, maybe remembering something, then shook his head. "No deal. Those fantasies aren't _my_ thing anyway."

"Fine." Naamah turned ash-flecked black without warning, her reddish hair vanishing into nothing. She was missing a single claw as the rest of them became exposed, lengthening her finger digits into unnatural spindly jointed things. Her clothing barely remained on her body, jean shorts and a simple tee that stretched as her shoulders expanded. Her shoes split, and she glared down at her feet briefly, annoyed. She shook one foot with a jerky motion and it reminded Maze so much of a pissed cat she nearly laughed aloud.

Maze easily remembered how everything feels in full demon form. It was intoxicating and difficult to resist the flood of emotions that came with the change. Heightened senses came quickly with inhuman features. Maze herself missed it deeply, but it wasn't safe to assume it outside of Hell. Not for her and not for those around her. Her blood sang for it though, another demon in full form demanded a challenge, regardless of location.

She didn't exactly _care_ if living things around her got hurt, but Lucifer had destroyed demons for lesser transgressions than injuring mortals. Luckily, there weren't any _mortals_ around. She feared Lucifer's wrath more than she craved embracing her truth self. Maybe she still could. Once she did, Namaah would see and smell her instantly. For now, she was effectively in stealth mode. What was it humans called it? Low aggro? She licked her lips, watching Cain with half-lidded eyes, hungry.

She missed Hell. It tugged at the core of her being, under her feet and unreachable alone.

Maze swallowed and calmed herself. Striking from cover was all well and good. Striking with another enemy present was altogether something else. She would not put herself in a position that put her back to either.

In Hell, Maze's full demonic form had _always_ been half-human looking; the corrupted side almost seemed to present especially twisted, marred, in an effort to make up for the other, straight down the middle of her body. The right side with a gentle brown eye, nearly unheard of in the underworld, barely useful there and prone to water and itch in Hell. Worthy of being mocked. Expanses of smooth and unblemished skin on that side of her body marked her as potentially frail, a deformity if you will. Demons who came into existence with more than a handful of human-like features didn't last long. A fully half human body made her a target over the millennia for other denizens of Hell who thought her weaker for it.

She proved them all wrong.

She was already strong when Lucifer found her, impressed with her will and ability to survive, despite her deformity.

Namaah wiped her chin with her forearm, streaking it with acidic blood.

Maze hadn't had an excuse to let her demon visage out in too long, let alone a full curtain drop. Maybe this was it.

Cain drew a black-bladed knife and assumed a ready stance, setting his feet.

Namaah reacted to it, hissing and drawing back slightly. It didn't look like one of Maze's knives, but it did _look_ hell-forged, short, nasty and serrated. He didn't seem worried about whether or not it would be effective.

The ebony demon lunged from a standing position, faster than a hawk felling prey in a screaming dive.

Cain was ready - thought he was ready, but he didn't have either supernatural strength or reaction time. He went down hard, on his back, the wind knocked out of him as the pair slid along the trail several feet with a nasty crack and a tearing of fabric and skin.

Black fangs closed down on his throat, releasing a spurt of blood as he struggled to push her off him, the knife already fallen from his grip and flung away with the flattening pounce. They fought each other for a grip, her skin smooth and slick and him trying to hold back her clawed hands. He shoved between her arms against her chest with a hoarse cry, tearing at his own neck to remove her. It didn't work. Namaah's jaw closed with a snap, piercing his throat deeply enough to crush his windpipe, tearing up and back with flesh in her teeth.

In a flash of white and with no forewarning, Lucifer came out of nowhere and knocked Namaah away from Cain, pinning her flat to the ground with the joint of his right wing and giving himself plenty of room between his body and her with his wingspan. She landed much as Cain did, hard and with the sound of bones stressing to the point of breakage and past it. She didn't slide as much. Unlike Cain, she was still alive and not lying in a pool of her own seeping blood.

Lucifers feathers looked borderline unkempt, slightly separated and puffed out thickly in aggression. The pinned demon spat and cursed through bloodied teeth, her solid white eyes focused on him with burning hatred, but she stopped squirming after a second or two, falling limp in supplication.

He hissed in the language of Hell, " _cease this nonsense at once! Explain yourself!_ "

She glared in no particular direction, rolling her eyes wildly while trying to breathe; her ribs likely were all fractured. "Can't...can't…"

He didn't let up, glaring with almost visible ire radiating from him.

Her claws retracted slightly, twitching in surrender. Maze caught a look from Lucifer; he knew she was there, the others did not. He didn't spare her more than a casual flick of the eyes, not diverting his attention more than required.

This was almost like the old days, but without the constantly falling ash. Her mouth watered. She shifted her grip on her blades, watching, scanning.

Namaah wheezed. "Want what you have, is all."

He may have allowed her a fraction of a moment of pity, no more. He switched to his more familiar accented English. "You aren't built that way. You can't have an earthly life. Your immediate continued existence itself is currently up for debate."

She nearly coughed, but didn't have the air for a full breath and it hitched painfully. "You aren't, you did."

"I'm no demon."

"Lousy angel though."

He blinked at that. "You aren't supposed to be here, _darling_. Who let you out?"

"Snuck. Clever. Cracks."

He frowned.

"Don't wanna go back."

Maze rose from her hiding spot, moving forward.

From the trail, Cain choked, the skin on his throat starting to close up, his neck returning to something looking like normal, if still bloody. He spat several mouthfuls of blood off to the side, breathing shallowly and annoyed he was still alive. "What are you doing?"

The Devil looked up. "Dispensing celestial justice. What are _you_ doing, other than resembling something a large angry feline literally dragged in, murdered, ate, then threw up again on the floor mat?"

"I hadn't been killed by a demon, yet. Seemed like a good chance to try it."

"Congratulations, you've succeeded in being violently dispatched by a demon. You'll be the first to write a book about it. Are you done?"

Namaah struggled under the hard bony edge of the wing, keening. Both the other immortals flatly ignored her.

"Doesn't mean _you_ can't still help me out. After you deal with your mess here."

Lucifer sounded offended. "This cluster is hardly my fault!"

Cain swiped at his neck, his hand coming away coated in blood. He looked unfazed, attempting to lean up on his wrists and palms. "You're the one who left Hell without anyone in charge, aren't you? Isn't that how _that_ bitch got out in the first place?"

Lucifer grunted, shifting his weight to keep the wing securely on the demon. "Not like I trusted anyone else to run it."

"Oh, so I'm sure anarchy in Hell is so much better than a shitty ruler. I bet she's not the only escaped demon. It's a shame I can't have you arrested for those murders."

He stiffened, his blood racing, fists clenching. "I'm not responsible for the actions of others!"

"Even when they escape Hell? I'm assuming if you were still there, she wouldn't have gotten out, right? When was the last time a demon got out alone anyway?" Cain's neck had completely healed, his voice clearing as he talked. Namaah licked her char colored lips.

She suddenly twisted hard against the ground, defying her injuries, turning to sink nearly a full set of claws into the top corner of Lucifer's wing - deep into his feathers and further into the joint. He winced and yanked back, but she clung on to him, hissing and spitting like an angry deranged cat. Blood flecks from her mouth and claws stained his wing and she gripped tighter. "Remember my touch, my love? Never did it his way." Her voice from a demon throat was unchanged, sweet and teasing. Had any mortal been close enough to hear it, it would be disorienting.

Disgruntled, he flapped both wings hard in an attempt to free himself, planting his feet to the ground. "Nor will we. If you prefer a prolonged death though, I can accommodate you."

Feathers pulled out of the wing in bloody, bunched handfuls with a wet ripping sound as she flew backward into the brush. More feathers floated loose in the air, falling to the ground rapidly under the weight of immortal blood.

Maze took her opening and dove forward to pounce on Namaah, but she twisted again, leaping to kick off the scraps of her shoes clear of her legs and free her foot claws. Her true demonic form grew dagger-like curved dew claws on her lengthening upper ankles. She brandished them like a rooster or a raptor, turning to attack Cain again, who sat a mere meter away from where she was thrown.

It was a feint.

Maze screamed a war cry, diving for the other demon at the same time she detoured for Lucifer's other wing, leaving a clean gash across Cain's chest as she used his body for a launch platform. Maze missed by inches, nearly slicing Cain open in the process. She turned, but the other demon was scurrying fast.

Namaah claw-climbed up his left wing, diving for his head. He raised the limb quickly to dislodge her, but she held on with all sets of claws. He grunted as feathers on both wings started to match in color, bloody and torn. Her eyes flashed, tongue lolling as she panted for breath with broken ribs. Blood streamed from her jaw, bright on black skin.

Lucifer instinctively tried to summon his devil face. And failed. He looked his coming death in the eyes and spat a curse.

She tilted her head, breath hissing and her maw impossibly wide, aiming to latch down onto his neck and crush it.

Shots rang out, one of which slammed into her and threw her sideways. The violent wrench combined with a slug in her shoulder was enough to wrench one forearm free of his wing and it tore free clutching a handful of feathers. She cursed in Infernal, shaking free the few feathers that stuck to her clawed hand. She let go with the other to take a new swipe at his face.

He brought up a hand and threw _light_ into her face, tearing her free of the wing and throwing her back. She hit the ground in an uncontrolled roll that snapped something else. Lucifer looked surprised himself, sweeping his wings back and up, out of the way. The inside curve of each remained mostly untouched, gleaming and bright.

Cain looked a bit unfocused, staring at the unfolded wings.

Maze used the opportunity to jump on the demon and sink her curved blades deep between her ribs. They bit into her like closing teeth. Namaah's scream of rage turned to a gurgling choke as blood seeped and pulsed out of her body and ran down around her ribcage.

Maze looked down at her hands and noticed the left bore her demon corruption. She'd taken her full true form in the battle, unintentionally. Well, no reason not to enjoy it.

Cain looked like he would recover. That wouldn't do.

She pulled her knives out of the still body as it began to dissolve, letting off smoke and starting to congeal into the ground, liquifying before her eyes slowly. Above them and up a hill, Chloe had her firearm drawn, shaking. She kept distance, wanting to help but not wanting to trigger Lucifer's vulnerability problem. For some reason, Dan stayed back too. Whatever kept them at bay was better for the two mortals.

The humans had guessed around a hundred feet was enough, and it seemed to be. If none of the shots had landed, it still would have distracted the attacking demon, probably. Maze mentally thanked them for staying back. They shouldn't be even this close, and Lucifer could only get more hurt if they came in.

Plus, they were out of range for this next bit. She unfurled her own wings, one of onyx-black feathers on her 'human' side, one ash-white and black-tipped dragon wing on the other. The spread wingspan blocked some of the view up the hill. They were far smaller than Lucifers set, and not meant for flight, but functional for her purposes all the same. And it felt damn good to stretch them.

Maze yanked her knives free from the body gradually melting into mush and air. They were covered in blood and gore, dripping thick ichor. She rose, took two long steps to Cain, and slit his throat with a clean, fast jerk. For good measure, she buried the other knife into the middle of his chest, shoving him back to the ground hard with the momentum and cracking the back of his skull against the hard ground.

She didn't actually intend for him to pass out from that, but she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to do a variety of damage either.

Lucifer merely straightened, wincing as his wings attempted to fully unfurl. "You done?"

"It probably won't take anyway. As long as you have your wings out, you should try crushing his ribcage with them, or maybe his face. Now would be a good time to give it a shot."

Chloe broke into a run, Dan not far behind. Lucifer let the thought register for barely a half-second, then considered what the visual would do to his humans. Not to mention anyone else if Cain actually _stayed_ dead for a change and he had to have Maze deal with the body. It could potentially take her quite a bit of time to gather up pasty smears of Cain, and police search helicopters weren't far away. He didn't really want to scar the detectives for life more so than they already were.

Lucifer glared at the demon sludge melting away and the maybe-not-actually-a-corpse of Cain. "I never should have engaged in that deal to start with. Circumventing Dad never really works. I still can't seem to stop trying though." He sighed and fluffed his wings again, feeling the blood on his feathers start to dry and itch. His blood, demon blood. The left wing in particular felt a bit wrenched and sore. He had enough problems right now without adding 'body disposal' to the list.

Cain coughed, spitting more blood as his throat closed, again. The detectives looked completely horrified as he sat up, giving him a wide arc of space. Chloe had her gun out but pointed at the ground, still ready for danger. Dan had a hand on his holster. The worse-for-wear Lieutenant pulled his shirt away from his body, glaring at the bloody stains and cuts on his clothing.

Maze drew a cloth from somewhere, settling her demon form back into human appearance with little visible effort outside of a shudder. She gave a regretful sigh, letting go of her preferred form, aware of the problems of running around looking as though she couldn't decide between zombie apocalypse and Goth Angel. She started to clean one of her knives, eyeing the remaining non-mortals and mortals alike. In a silent signal exchange, Dan went to Lucifer and Chloe approached Maze. "Are you okay?"

The demon nearly dropped her dagger at the concerned tone, regarding her suspiciously. "Of course. This wasn't my first fight. Felt good though, needed a workout. You?"

Chloe swallowed, holstering her gun. The pale cast to her skin began to give way to her more usual skin tone as she digested everything, accepting how strange her life had become. The sharp mind behind those human eyes filtered, assessed and moved on. Finally - though seconds later - she stared at the spot on the ground where the other creature died, addressing her demonic roommate. "Is she...uh, dead-dead?"

Maze nodded at the black puddle that dried to nothing over another minute, sparing it barely another glance. "Demons don't have a soul. She's destroyed."

"And you're sure you're okay? She didn't get you at all?" Chloe visually searched her clothing, visible skin, looking for injuries. She didn't miss Maze' remark about souls, but didn't pursue just now either, much to Maze' relief.

Maze couldn't say she wasn't at least a tiny bit touched. She shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, thanks, Decker. If you want to spare some gratitude, you can always skip asking for this month's rent." She sheathed one blade after inspecting it carefully, then started on the second. She'd have to give them both a proper deep cleaning, but this would do for now.

"Sure, done." She turned to her boss, who looked none better, but didn't go to him. Cain wasn't up to getting up yet. She toed the knife he dropped. "Is this special, Maze?"

"Yeah, another Hell blade. He shouldn't have one." Maze appreciated her restraint in not randomly picking up a Hell item. She retrieved it herself, turning it over in her fingers.

Chloe watched curiously. "Yours are unique, right? Is this one part of a set too?"

Mazikeen wrinkled her nose. "Not always, but maybe. I'll look into it." She sheathed it somewhere Chloe couldn't quite make out. A disgruntled "Hey!" came from Cain as it vanished on her person.

The demon smiled at him. "You want it back? Come get it."

He snarled but lay still on the rocky trail, gathering his strength.

She turned it over. "It's not Namaah's, but I don't know offhand whose it is. I can go digging. The Armorer might know, remember it."

Dan and Chloe both heard a capital letter in there somewhere. Dan asked, "of...Hell?"

"Natch. Vulcan." She hissed at the confusion on Dan's face. He started to ask, "Like the alien-"

"No. Other way around. _Barely_."

Under his breath, Dan muttered something.

"If you _must_ know, Amenadiel is the Trekkie, not me."

"But you know what a Vulcan is?"

"Who doesn't? You'd have to live under a rock."

Chloe muttered something under _her_ breath about paperwork regarding murders, bodies and weapons. Maze ignored it. No one helped Cain up.

Dan wanted to hug Lucifer but he seemed a bit flighty. Lucifer still had his wings out, shifting and about to play his vanishing act. He looked miserable but hung around a moment longer on their behalf. As Chloe spoke to Maze, Dan asked quietly, "How are you? Can you uh... teleport or fly or whatever right now?"

Lucifer shot him an annoyed look.

Dan bit his lip and clarified, "no, I mean all of us? I think we need to get you cleaned up, the sooner the better. Preferably in your penthouse, by us." He tried very hard not to blush a little as he said it, but was unsuccessful.

Chloe came over at the last words, nodding. Lucifer's suspicious look warmed up considerably as Dan's skin flushed. "Can't wait to get my clothes off again, can you, Daniel?"

Cain dusted himself off, clearly thinking about interrupting, while _not_ thinking about any of them naked..

Chloe carefully put her arms around Lucifer's waist, keeping them clear of his wings, pressing her head to one side of his chest. "That makes two of us. But you _do_ need a scrubbing. And I'd like to help with that."

Maze enjoyed the cascade of expressions on Cain's face immensely. She made a note to try and sneak in to the apartment later and take photos. Just for him. Well, maybe herself too. And to bring a second phone so she could capture his reaction to _those_ photos.

The Lieutenant got his feet under him. "What am I supposed to say about the missing murderer?"

Lucifer groaned. "Whatever you intended to tell them originally, assuming your suicide-by-demon plan didn't work."

Eyeing him, Dan offered, "You can always just say you got beat up and thrown around by a ninety-pound woman. I'm sure that won't raise any eyebrows at your image."

Lucifer tilted his head. "That's half true, I suppose. Her human form was smaller than Maze. If you'll excuse us, I believe the detectives and I are taking the afternoon off. I'll fly back here later for the car."

Chloe flinched slightly. She wasn't one to blow off work. Then again…She let go of Lucifer for just a moment. She walked over and addressed Cain. "It's going to be really difficult for me to work for you from here on out. I strongly suggest you change careers and find a new job. Private investigator maybe. In another city. Or state. Maybe continent."

He glowered in response. "I'm not _retiring_ just because you know about me. Anymore than Lucifer is."

"Suit yourself. Now that the murderer is dealt with, we're still taking the afternoon off." When Lucifer grinned suggestively, she added, "And don't think you're off the hook either. I'm not going to miss more wing grooming, but you're going to answer some more questions."

Lucifer chewed his tongue, debating on taking the long way home. "Detective!-"

She walked back and kissed him. "Don't worry, it won't hurt. Much."

Dan checked him over for damage but he seemed healthy enough. The bleeding wings worried him, and he didn't know if Lucifer was just showing off to appear mostly unhurt, but some of the wounds appeared to still be actively seeping.

Wings began to wrap around the three of them. "Maze, love, please don't murder Cain again. He's had a long day."

She pouted. "Another day?"

He nodded. "Certainly."

They vanished.


	28. Home

Dan fell on his ass but at least everything was soft.

 _Beam me up, Scotty. Or down. Something._

Lucifer's wings functioned as a shield for Dan and Chloe against the visual effects of Celestial Flight Airlines, but his stomach still wasn't too thrilled about it. Nor was his head or pretty much anything else, really. Vertigo and nausea swept him, stuffing itself into every nerve he had before it slowly started to retreat to merely something along the lines of an eggbeater making hay out of his inner ears.

Chloe had a firmer grip on Lucifer to begin with, but her muscles turned to jelly as well, and she slumped next to Dan, off-center on the huge bed. She breathed out with a huff, leaning on him for support, then flopped back, holding her forehead as her blood rushed around her body. She'd been on a few carnival rides that were more harrowing, but not many. "That. What was that, exactly?"

If she said anything before that sentence, Dan had missed it. He barely registered the weight of other bodies in the bed with him. What he didn't expect was a lack of panic. He just experienced something normally reserved for sci-fi and all he wanted to do now (as soon as he felt recovered) was pin the handsome, scruffy angel to the bed and have his way with him. Thoroughly.

Lucifer put his wings away with a wince and a rough sounding flutter, reaching a hand out to stroke Chloe, who happened to be closer to him. "I guess I'm used to just taking Maze alone. She's well acquainted with it and doesn't bother complaining about the rigours of angelic transportation." Dan watched him place his warm palm flat on her stomach without any weight behind it and she immediately sucked in a deeper, calmer breath, filling her lungs and slowly blowing it out. He left it there a bit longer, watching her. "How's that, love?"

She nodded gratefully. Dan envied her ability to move her head without feeling like throwing up. Or at least appearing that way. She closed her eyes. "That would have been amazing back when I was in my first trimester."

He looked a hair uncomfortable about that. "I doubt you would have let me near you then."

Dan glanced over, playfully. "I know _I_ wouldn't have. I may have been overzealously protective."

Lucifer sat down, wedging himself between the two of them and placing his other wide palm on Dan's middle, careful not to shove him over sideways or back. Warm fingers barely put weight on his abdomen, just enough to make solid contact with his body. The hand slithered along to his solar plexus and rested there a moment. Dan felt easing warmth releasing some of his tension. The acid in his esophagus retreated, burning but clearing. With some sort of outside willpower or force or something, the nausea abated to nothing. "Okay, maybe I would have." He leaned his head between his knees, breathing carefully and swallowing bile back down his throat. "Do you normally fly around, uh, non-demons? People?"

His long fingers relaxed, moving in a slow, soothing circle and pulling back his power as Dan's color returned to healthy pink instead of alien green. "Here and there. Moreso in the past when travel was less convenient. Perhaps it's the distance. Or the occupancy. Perhaps I'm not rated for more than one passenger at a time." He added a small smile with his joke, worried about their state.

The heat from Lucifer's palm, resting delicately, made him warmer elsewhere. Dan crossed his legs and brought his head up, testing. It was much, much better. Right this second, totally worth the teleportation trick. _Holy shit. I was just moved inter-dimensionally by the Devil._ He pulled Lucifer in for a slow kiss, his head clear again, even better than before maybe. A becoming-very-familiar grin bloomed under his lips, sending tingles down his spine. Chloe smiled from where she lay on her back, caressing one long thigh on the opposite side of Lucifer's body. "I don't know about a passenger limitation _._ I bet you can handle more than one seating arrangement." She undid one of her buttons and laced her fingers through his on her stomach, then moved both their hands into her shirt to touch smooth, bare skin below her ribs. She shifted her grip to hold the back of his hand where it rested, stroking and squeezing.

Dan returned Lucifer's addictive joyful grin between kisses, the touch of his slightly smaller spread hand to his chest and pushing him back and down, next to Chloe, their fingers touching under her blouse. She propped her other arm under her head, getting up a bit so they both leaned on him. She kissed his temple, his cheek, slow and soft. Dan settled himself, bracing his knees outside Lucifer's ribs, sitting back on his hips. The guy still had his suit jacket on, but didn't seem overly inclined to get up again just yet to remove it, and Dan didn't intend to _let_ him up, yet. "How are you?"

Lucifer shifted, an arm a little trapped by his side under his right which was across his body and touching Chloe. His fingers were still free enough to play with Dan's thigh. He gave a kind of full-body shrug. "I'll be fine shortly. You understand I really don't want to make a habit of you two having to figuratively lick my wounds."

Him lying there like this was doing things to Dan's jeans. He put it aside for the moment but it was hard. _No pun intended. Mostly_. "Why not? We're pretty good at it. You deserve a little special attention. I believe we can help you heal, if only with grooming."

He rolled his eyes. "I've been taking care of my own needs for _ages._ "

"Shush. You're due to have someone help with your needs." Inspiration struck him as he looked down at his friend and lover. "You're my sub tonight. Tell me what you need from me."

The answering, slightly shaky, intake of breath told him he was on the right track. His eyes came up on him, dark and full of desire and it was like the first time all over again. Dan shuddered involuntarily, pleasantly under that gaze. A building response under his ass wasn't helping his ability to focus. _When did another man wanting to fuck me become such a turn on?_ _And can I just go with 'the Devil made me do it'?_ Lucifer grinned at him cheekily, full of want, fully aware of the various responses he inspired.

"You."

 _Focus, Dan, he's hurting. And good at hiding it._ "Later. What else?"

Chloe snuggled against Lucifer and wiggled her legs. A thump behind him announced her shoes being slid off and hitting the ground. _That_ did things to his jeans as well. He took a deeper breath, resisting the urge to just lay down across him - them, and start ripping Lucifer's fancy clothes off. He fought down his rising blush - among rising other things - for the moment, in favor of using his free hands to soothingly rub Lucifer's stomach the way that had just been done to him, only longer, with slower strokes. And obviously, a distinct lack of supernatural abilities.

He wasn't fooling any of them. Not with Lucifer eyeing his tenting pants. The beringed hand left Chloe to touch both Dan's legs, smoothing up his thighs. "A little recovery time to heal. Your company, both of you. A little attention would be an excellent way to pass the time."

Dan turned his hands over, brushing knuckles over his chest. "I get the feeling you need more than that."

Lucifer breathed under him, his eyes falling shut again for a moment and just _being_. With them. Maybe some of it was simple hesitation but Dan welcomed the company all the same. Chloe, lying down, rested her head against his, and they all just listened to the silence for a few well, blessed, moments. His chest rose and fell like he could be anyone else, his pulse beating under their hands.

The Devil toed off his shoes too, gently kicking them off the bed to join Chloe's with a heavy sound. _Thank Whoever invented men's slip on shoes._ He reached back and took off his own with his fingers, tossing them off and returning his hands to the man under him.

Chloe's slender fingers reached between his hands, sliding into Lucifer's shirt and slipped one button free, then another. Dan's fingers went inside, lightly touching his toned abs. He very deliberately didn't make it sexual, keeping his hands above Lucifer's belt. For now. Chloe popped another button, kissing one black eyebrow. "You're going to tell us what you really need right now, or-" She pursed her lips.

The eyebrow arched. "Or what? You're aware of my history with ultimatums, I trust?"

She huffed a sigh. "I want to help. _We_ want to help. And yeah, you could just do it all yourself, but when has that ever been fun for you? You probably want to be up and ready for your adoring fans tonight. That's going to be hard with you looking like a dirty dishrag."

He responded by twitching a bit. "What if I don't want to be an imposition?"

The female detective kissed his cheek. "What if we said you aren't? Besides, we're off work for the rest of the day, what better way to spend it?"

A grumble rolled under Dan from Lucifer's throat. "What's the 'or'?"

Dan grinned, massaging heating muscles under the palms of his hands. "Or, you don't get sexed up. Just touched. And snuggled. And cuddled. Until you do."

Lucifer groaned. "And they call me evil."

He ducked down to kiss him. "None of that. No one _here_ is calling you evil. _They_ have no claim on you. I suppose I don't either, but I want to." Dan half expected to be tossed off the bed for being possessive. When he wasn't, he added, "you aren't evil."

Devil hips wriggled under him, emphasizing his entendre. "You say that _now_."

"Hmm," Dan kissed him again. "You're _good._ To us. To the people around you. I'm glad I'm in your life. Your lives. Sharing this." He pulled up, keeping a bit of space, taking full advantage of the fact that Lucifer's hands were basically trapped, even if a thumb was doing distracting things to his knee. He tugged the dress shirt free from under the trousers, pulling apart the bottom-most button. He put his fingers back on skin like they were freezing and Lucifer was a pair of heated gloves. "You need to be taken care of too. Even if you don't want to be. _Especially_ because you don't want to be. You deserve to be. I don't know what's going on _downstairs_ but I somehow doubt it's your fault."

Sigh. "It may be. It requires looking into."

Chloe's hand joined both of his, touching his chest and stomach. She kissed his ear softly. "You don't have to take care of _yourself_ alone, Luce. How are you actually feeling?"

He grunted, but relaxed slightly. "Everything is going to be-"

She plinked his stomach with her thumb and forefinger. "Not later, idiot, _now_."

"Ow." Lucifer looked a bit like a hurt puppy. She didn't let up her worried gaze, stroking his middle where she flicked him, but going neither higher nor lower. "Well?"

He rolled his eyes dramatically, but tilted his head to get closer to her chest. "I'm uncomfortable, alright? Usually I just wait it out until I heal, eventually, the wings naturally shed debris or dirt and foreign material until they're _clean_ again. It didn't usually matter anyway, with all the perpetual ash in Hell."

Dan's hands stilled briefly, then moved again, smoothing along the muscles over his ribs, then moving down to take apart his leather belt, pulling it free with a slight assisting arch of the body below him, pressing up under Dan. "Good start." He leaned in to kiss the middle of his chest, skin bare from trousers to neck now. His fingers went up Lucifer's sides, nerves almost tingling in anticipation. Dan leaned up and pulled off his own shirt with a smooth motion that left Chloe echoing Lucifer's low growl. He stilled his flush again, or tried to. "So, no Hell here, no ash, what works best? A shower?"

Lucifer shivered under deft fingers, pleased with how much progress his newer lover was making. "The tub. The entire floor of the bathroom can be flooded and drained, up to an inch or two of water. There's a stiff waterproof barrier just inside the door that can be inserted into the frame, the whole thing is watertight up to three inches but it's really just for deep cleaning. It's come in handy in the past, makes it easy to, well, make a huge mess without worrying about it overmuch. There's a rug in there, make sure you remove it first, obviously, as it hides the floor drain under normal bathing circumstances."

Dan dropped to kiss him again, sucking on his lower lip. He had to shift his hips back to make room for skin to skin contact. Chloe pulled his jacket and shirt fully open. She had leaned up enough to take off her own shirt, then lay back down. Dan slid off to the other side, longways, pressed up against him where his clothes were apart. She still had a black bra on, her otherwise bare torso aligned with his body. Her breasts pushed together sideways and the move gave her a very nice cleavage. She reached up to tug one strap off her higher shoulder. And grinned slyly when she noticed both sets of eyes on her. "Help?"

Lucifer had one arm free now, but it was on her side, so Dan reached over him, behind her, and unlatched her one-handed with a quick pinch and a smile. Lucifer tried to wiggle free of his shirt and jacket, but he was well squished by the other two. He made a small noise of complaint.

Dan and Chloe's free arms crossed each other to rest on him, touching him. She kissed the side of his neck, and Dan got the other, heating skin under his lips. By unspoken mutual agreement, they snuggled him into submission. Skin to skin contact sent a pleasant buzz through Dan, one he suspected echoed through them. Even Lucifer closed his eyes, accepting companionship. He twitched once and lay still again, unable to resist saying, "this isn't how my three-ways normally go."

Chloe's fingers slid under the band of his trousers, but only lightly, touching his hip bone. She smiled against his neck. "Get used to new normals, buddy. And who said you're getting sexed up just yet?"

A sigh escaped him, again. "Well, if I must put up with _just_ snogging, I can at least make it nicer for me." He sneakily caught one of Chloe's bra cups in his teeth and pulled it away from her. She mock-gasped. Dan helped mostly remove it, and it got squished down between her and Lucifer, still looped over her other shoulder. She _mmmm'd_ against his cheek, settling again, pressed close. Dan returned his hand to Lucifer's side, palm in, setting it to brush his knuckles on Chloe's stomach. Her fingers extended to touch his belly, sending a new thrill through him.

He mouthed at Lucifer's scruff on his side, then kissed him at the corner of slyly playful lips. Chloe joined him, kissing the other corner of his smile, then Dan, back down again. Dark eyes flicked between the two. "Did you two plan this?"

Chloe answered, "nope. Well, not exactly. We thought you were going to end up doing something stupid, plus we knew you were already having issues that made a mess in my living room. Which reminds me, the cleaners called while you were off in the woods. It got in the vents. The whole place has to be cleaned, which means I'm staying here for a few days, at minimum."

The dark eyes narrowed, flicking to Dan and back. "And the spawn?"

"Trixie will either have to stay with Dan, or… They stay here too."

He half-grumped. "You're aware there are no doors in here, yes?"

"My period is due to start any hour now, so you and Dan can go find a guest room while Trixie's here. It's that or you put up with no sex and my cramps for a week without any extra company."

Dan grinned at his expression. It didn't hurt his feelings that he had far more experience in this area than Lucifer. Many were the nights of re-warming a hot water bottle or making a late night run for heat patches. "Having second thoughts?"

"Never. I do have guest rooms on other floors. I'm trying to remember which are occupied. I think Maze leased out a floor recently. You know, Chloe, orgasms are extremely helpful with cramping."

"Which is why I sometimes masturbate then. That doesn't mean I feel sexy when I'm doing it." At his odd expression, she waved vaguely at Dan. "Guys do it all the time just for stress relief. We never talk about it, but you must do it more often after we started dating and you got laid less."

"Darling, of course I do. But if you think I'm not milking fantasies of you for all they're worth…"

She blushed. "Seriously? With _your_ spank bank?"

"Well. You aren't always _alone_ in them." He shrugged and grinned. "Why, how full of assets is your _bank_?"

 _Don't ask me, don't ask me._

She blushed more. "You shouldn't ask a girl that!"

His face definitely read that he was coming back to the subject. "Oh, well, Daniel?"

 _Frack_. "Uh. Six from Battlestar?"

"Hmm. I'm more of a Katee fan. Anyone else?"

"I kind of have a thing for leggy blonde women. And blue eyes. Can't say I know what I like in men, but it's running pretty hard to the other end of the spectrum." He felt himself turning red, trying to come up with a way to admit out loud the man he lay next to was, well, insanely handsome, with amazing legs. "If I had to _actually_ pick? A guy? Uhm. Hell, I don't know, Keanu?"

Lucifer smiled. "Not a bad choice. He's actually very good for a human. Well above average, humble, movies aren't awful. Most of them. Easy to talk to. Not hard on the eyes either."

Chloe thought about it. "I can see that. Not quite on my list though."

"Detective! You have a list? Want some help with it?"

"Oh my- no. It's just for fun, and you've probably slept with them already anyway. Hemsworth?"

"You might be surprised how busy their lives are. So no. Plus he's married. That might not get in _my_ way, but you're no homewrecker. But I want to hear more about Dan's newly rearranged list."

Dan wasn't done blushing. "Right, of course you've met him. Uhm? Did you…?"

"Nope, didn't sleep with him either. Also completely believed me when I met him, by the way. I should see how he's doing these days."

Chloe shook her head. "You talk to him often? Did you do a favor trade?"

"Moreso than if I _had_ slept with him, oddly. And yes, but I don't really talk about favors without the other person present. Nothing sordid. Do you want an introduction, Daniel?"

Chloe laughed but Dan felt himself blushing. Again. "Uh." _Well, I guess I'm officially bi, just in case the Devil doesn't count one way or the other, with all the mojo._ The actor had a similar build too, come to think of it, dark haired and dark eyes, dancer-graceful with a lean build.

Lucifer grinned from his prone position, sensing his lover's mind wandering. "Oh, Daniel, not so random pick after all. Well, don't worry, I've decided I don't want to share you, were he available. Present company excluded."

Chloe touched his hand lightly where he rested his on Lucifer's torso, the warmth from the blush trading places with something else. She kissed Lucifer's shoulder. "Good."

Lucifer took advantage of the lull, extracting his hands and raising them over his head suggestively, gripping the headboard. "So, what's this about being your sub, Daniel?"

Chloe played with coiffed hair from under her pillow, enjoying the idea for about three seconds before remembering why they were here. "Hey, how hurt are you?"

Lucifer opened his mouth then reconsidered his first response when Chloe poised her other fingers to pinch him in a very sensitive spot inside his pants. He grumbled, but not much. "Not so badly that we don't have time for a round of fun before fixing me up?"

Dan playfully darted down and nipped his jaw. "Is that a question or an answer?"

The entire body under them flinched but Dan felt only a little bad. He glared at Dan, but it didn't have much heat. "Gah! Answer! I promise I'm not currently suffering _pain_ , loves."

He licked the spot on in the scruff, kissing and soothing, short black hair scraping his tongue pleasantly. "No?"

He sighed. "No. As long as my wings are tucked away, they're only...itchy when wounded. The discomfort will get worse but for the next few hours I'm perfectly fine, as long as I don't have to use them."

Dan pulled up again. "So, you aren't endangering yourself right now by putting it off?"

Another sigh. He seemed full of them. "Maze is on her way back - if Michael suddenly barges through my door, intent with murder on his mind, there's little I could do to stop him anyway, even were I at full strength. Nor would Maze truly be that effective, for that matter. Anyone short of him - well, I am an archangel, one of four last I checked."

Chloe kissed his neck again. "What does that mean anyway?"

"It means that when I spar with Amenadiel, I pull my punches. He _couldn't_ win against me even when he was at full power. I merely humored him whenever he came to collect me and send me back to Hell, mostly because if I didn't, someone else would come down and kick my sweet arse. Again, probably. Arriving back in Hell with the snot beat out of me, well, I don't heal as fast there."

Dan looked at Chloe and they both looked angry, but not at him. He was leaving something out as usual, but they left it for now. Lucifer was being more open than he ever really was usually and Dan thought that should be rewarded. He popped the button and closure on Lucifer's trousers, settling down again and nuzzling a warm neck. Chloe huffed a little sigh, joining him, sliding her hand down to help with the zipper, opening him up to her.

The breath that came out of him was a different kind of intense sigh, full of longing. She grasped him, her fist closing around his filling length before Dan thought to, followed by scooting up on her butt to run kisses down his chest to navel. She reached up and unlatched Dan's jeans without looking, and he returned the favor, kissing the top of her head at the same time.

Lucifer tugged her pants and underwear down, urging her out of them quickly and guiding her hips over his face. Her eyelids fluttered when she grabbed for Dan's jeans and felt supple Devil lips and tongue on her. She blinked and pointed at his pants from all fours. "Take those off. And his."

He didn't need to be told twice.

Her spread legs turned her ass into a perfect, beautiful heart shape, her muscles twitching gently with Lucifer's skilled mouth. Lucifer's hands came up over her sides, stroking her back, down her spine. Somehow he'd gotten out of his jacket but he still had the shirt on, restrained by buttoned cuffs. Lucifer bit the backs of her thighs. His fingers trailed on her hips and lower as she bent her head down. Watching his lover behind her made such a lovely view, Dan forgot he, himself was even there at all until she surged at him and her lips engulfed him, kissing his hot tip and taking him deeper, a forearm braced on his knees outside Lucifer's legs. Her free hand cupped his hot balls. She stroked lightly, then moved her fingers to Lucifer, her mouth still on Dan, around his cock, inches from Lucifers, her chin bumping it.

Dan groaned, sucked his fingers, working up saliva. Warm and wet, he assisted Chloe, moving their hands in sliding rhythm on him. He grew harder under the shared grip, sucking in a hard, sharp breath.

Small moans gave way to short gasps. Her body gave a jerk and a shudder, Lucifer's fingers teased her, lying back, waiting patiently for her mouth to be done with him. Her lips on Dan stuttered, hummed. Dan pulled her hair bun out a few strands at a time until it came loose to fall over one shoulder, tickling his thighs. Lucifer expertly applied a cleaning wipe behind her not even caring or wondering where he got it from right now, and her breath hitched at the focused intent behind it. She sighed and let Lucifer pull, her hips moving back, flattening over Lucifer's face as she let her legs lower and spread out. Her mouth let go of Dan with a soft wet sucking pop, moving to her other lover, changing out her grip to stroke Dan instead as her lips left him. He missed her mouth immediately but couldn't fault the view.

He took over himself after several long, delightful steady strokes and pulled Lucifer's knees up, one at a time, spreading the legs over his hips. Chloe snaked her freed hand low, under Lucifer with her thumb and fingers, just touching. She dripped saliva down his cock and it slid lower around her fingers. Her blue eyes flicked up at him over her tight lips and darker Devil shaft and Dan shivered, his chest full and hot. He added his hand to her fingers, thumbing through short black curls. If anyone had told him he'd enjoy fondling another man's balls while his ex sucked that man's cock, he wouldn't have given it much credence. Not even taking into consideration the whole Devil thing. His own throbbed with burning desire as he shoved it down in better position, straining against his grip.

She couldn't _quite_ be centered over his hips and be fully engaged by Lucifer's talented face, or she'd be giving Dan more oral attention.

Lucifer made noises against Chloe, reached out and passed Dan the bottle of lube from somewhere nearby. Dan uncapped it and got Chloe's attention. "Want to help?"

Chloe let go with her mouth, glancing back to ask, "What do I do?"

From behind her, Lucifer's voice sounded thick. "Just...play. whatever strikes you. Hmmm." Chloe was pushed forward a bit again with his face, moving back behind her. Between licks and kisses he said, "Like this? With your fingers?"

She gasped an, "oh!". The reposition gave her a deeper angle on his cock with her mouth.

They both _played_ a bit. Chloe writhed when Lucifer pushed into her backside with his tongue. She kissed down his length, touching and pressing along him. Dan's impatient cock waited until he felt better about the amount of lube applied, the sounds coming out of Lucifer edging toward delighted, relaxing into it. Dan went slowly this time, with small passes and circles of his fingers first, the head of his cock applying pressure and letting up, teasing. His and Chloe's hands touched a few times. She wasn't ready to do to Lucifer what was being done to her ass, but she explored, her smaller fingers pressed lightly, listening to sounds of pleasure coming from behind her. She reached to grip Dan a few times too. Dan replaced her fingers with his, gently, beginning to insert one, watching it disappear into him.

Lucifer moaned. Chloe's breath hitched, her eyes closed, sinking. "Oh...oh...Luce." Her pink lips parted lightly. "Oh my Devil…" Lucifer's shoulder moved, his hand under her, stroking her slit in time with his tongue.

Dan rested the head of his hard dick against Lucifer's ass, testing, pressing and teasing. He went for a second finger and it earned him a luxurious moan. Chloe leaned over and licked up his shaft, Lucifer's nestled wetly between her breasts. She pulled back again to suck him, distracting him from any discomfort he might have. She watched Dan greedily.

Dan applied extra lube to himself, glowing under her hungry eyes. "How are you, Luce?"

Lucifer's voice came out a little muffled from his activities. "Ride me already."

Chloe switched to a hand, letting go with her lips so she could better watch Lucifer's eager ass accept him. Dan withdrew his slick fingers and moved as slow as he could hold himself, hips tense, supporting Lucifer's gorgeous hips. The Devil hissed a moan. Chloe held herself from pushing harder into his face.

"Okay?"

A gasp followed by, "it's a little different than just Chloe being near. Love, I hope you peg me sometime soon so I can compare." He immediately reapplied his tongue between her cheeks.

Dan pushed his hips in, plunging to inhaled breath from them both. He was tight and tense. He was so focused on not hurting Lucifer he couldn't relax at all. Then there was Chloe, pulling his face down, kissing him hard. She touched them where they connected and Lucifer bucked a little. She stroked Dan where he wasn't yet fully in, and he unwound, practically falling into his lovers. He kissed her hungrily. Lucifer did something to her ass that made her gasp into Dan's mouth and bite his lip lightly. She stilled, breathing hard, her hand clutching the back of his head, almost too hard. They kissed again, both very, very distracted. She moaned hard against his lips, her tongue sweeping his.

Lucifer hummed, pleased as Dan grew harder with need inside him, stretching him in delicious ways, his pulse beating counterpoint to Dan's hard throbbing shaft.

Dan had to ask about her interesting response, somehow distracting enough from the hot squeezing going on that did wonderful things to his cock. "Chlo?"

She slumped, the top of her head pressed hard in the middle of Dan's chest for support. "I think my ass just came."

He couldn't stop himself from asking; "that's a thing?"

Lucifer made a noise, his fingers still stroking her clit. "You feel lovely, Daniel, feel free to pick up the pace, if you like. And bloody hell, yes, that's a _thing_. I have so many fun techniques to teach you both."

Dan swallowed hard.

She spoke again, breathing hard. "New one for me. Fuck. And yeah, I can still feel it. Damn." She must have opened her eyes again while looking down because she added a throaty, "oh….damn it to fuck, that's hot."

Dan increased his speed a little, holding onto his hips, pumping harder. Chloe planted another kiss on Dan, moved to suck on Lucifer a bit more, tilting her face to not be too much in the way. She gave one last lingering suck, and pulled up and back, holding herself up against the headboard so she wouldn't suffocate Lucifer. He took a cleaning wipe to his face before biting between her legs again, tasting her folds. Dan faltered, watching Chloe's face as Lucifer's fingers and lips slowly undid her, chasing her clitoral orgasm next. Her jaw dropped, her abs tensed.

Dan took over working Lucifer's cock with long strokes.

Lucifer's throat and face worked under her, his tongue just peeking out between her spread lips, wet and glistening. A bit of saliva escaped the corner of his mouth. She threw her head back, arms out and hands gripping pillows. Hard. The sounds of need he pulled from her throat brought _him_ incredibly close. She panted, coming hard on his face with a number of noises that might have been variations of " _Lucifer_ ", rocking her hips over him, gasping for breath. He hoped she looked like that for him. For as many more times as she'd let him try.

Lucifer clenched around him. Chloe carefully rolled off and lay on her back, her feet near his head. She reached over and stroked his abs, flushed in the face, her head by their hips. She kissed Dan's knee, just watching.

Dan repositioned, bent to kiss Lucifer, breathing hard, Chloe's hot taste lingering sweetly on his breath. He braced himself and drove his hips harder. It was Lucifer's turn to twist up the sheets under his fingers. Dan tried very hard to maintain any kind of steady rhythm. Skin began to stick between them and Lucifer bit his lip, pushing back against Dan for more depth. He groaned, the sound strumming through his whole hard body. "Just like that, Daniel." The thrill redoubled, centering the universe on bringing him to the peak of pleasure.

His breath came hot and fast and low. Every part of skin touching skin was glorious, the man under him begging for release. He bent to his ear, nipping. "You want more?"

"Yes, Daniel. Please."

It nearly undid him, but he would be damned if he finished first and left Lucifer hanging. It became impossible to concentrate as Lucifer shut his eyes and let himself move with Dan, shoved into the silk sheets, nearly to the headboard, his heels digging into Dan's hips, pulling him in harder and deeper with every thrust, every hard breath out a faint replication of his name. Lucifer's previously perfect eyeliner was badly smeared in several directions and Dan imagined matching black smudges decorating the backs of Chloe's thighs. He kissed it. He arched, tensing together.

Chloe touched herself, trying for another peak.

He tried to concentrate on the tension in his lover's face, lips softly parted. Those endlessly dark eyes came up on him and he almost lost it again, demanding and not at the same time. The rhythm was so good. Everything was so good. Lucifer's hands on his back, his ass, his body. Dan applied his teeth and lips to the side of the neck under him. He tasted sweat and salt and _need_.

Lucifer abruptly painted his stomach with a breaking burst of pulsing reward and a deep groan just a few strokes before he let go himself, gloriously hot and balls deep. He pumped them through several hard orgasm contractions, Lucifer's legs limply falling away from Dan's ribs, sticky with sweat.

Dan propped himself up after a minute or maybe it was forever, collecting his breath, with hot sticky fluid pooling between them, more threatening escape around his softening dick. He was so sensitized he didn't want to even pull out.

Lying here, he felt Lucifer already swelling up again in his fist. "Seriously?"

Lucifer kissed his chin. "Darling, have you met me? Shall I introduce myself?"

Chloe giggled.

"Maybe later, Mephistopheles. _I_ need recovery time."

Chloe kissed them both. "Shower time?" but she watched them with heavy lidded eyes, not wanting to move, or for them to, looking spent and satisfied and beautiful tangled up in each other.

Lucifer cast her a saucy look from under Dan. "Would you like another ride, Detective? I have a seat available, once Daniel moves. And this shirt really needs to come off."

She giggled. "Only if we switch. I don't think I can hold myself up."

"Mmm. I can manage that."

She felt warm, renewed arousal. "Think you can make me come again, Feathers?"

"Daniel?"

"Hmmmmm?"

"I do believe the lady would like me to fuck her now."

"Hmmmm." Dan rolled off, lying flat on his back, lazily, limbs twitchy. "'Kay. But I wanna touch you more after that."

Lucifer swung his legs over to cover her, kissing her thoroughly. She sort of got her legs around him and just held on like she had mounted a running horse. He lined up, plunging deeply into her in one stroke, wet and full. Chloe moaned his name, the depth surprisingly welcome even after the other peaks. She threw her arms around his waist, catching a look of near rapture from Dan watching them. He filled her with heat and need and want.

He withdrew enough to ride his cock head just over her g-spot, occasionally attaining full depth, but concentrating on her sensitive area just inside her. It felt incredible, the glorious line right between _wanting_ him to fill her completely and _having_. She wasn't really expecting another orgasm after the other two, but it crept in like a sneaking cat, upon her before she barely noticed, a rolling soft pulse that left her boneless and entirely breathless after a litany of _holy fucks_. She came down like a feather blanket, curled in on herself.

Lucifer didn't even correct her on the _holy anything_. Yet. Dan giggled at the thought.

He got one again too just after her, coming with a throaty groan and redoubling the cloud of _sex_ hanging in the air. Not that Dan was complaining because it was a cross between getting his own personal porn show and having the benefit of it being two people he cared deeply about. He stroked her shoulder and she smiled and puckered her red lips. Dan leaned into the pair, kissing her gently, then him. He lay on his side, touching what he could reach with them interlocked. Her hand clutched in black hair, not ready to let him up. She hummed and slid both hands down to his firm, perfectly round ass. Lucifer smiled over at him, hair in total disarray, and as beautiful as he'd ever seen him.

 _God, if I'm going to Hell, please don't let it be for having this. Wanting this. Or_ sending _him_ _ **again**_ _for that matter._ Dan shook it off, hoping no one actually had heard that, especially not after he had just gleefully fucked one of God's sons. Fuck. He still hadn't really asked about Charlotte.

He ran his fingers through his drying, sweaty hair. _Later._

Eventually, someone remembered to order food. They slowly separated and then sent out for enough Chinese to feed a small army. The place was well aware of Lucifer's address and knew the precautions of not walking in on things that might scar their drivers for life, with instructions to just leave the food outside the elevator if no one appeared, with a very generous tip under a bookend on a small table.

In the meantime, Lucifer got settled with his wings out and over the edge of the deep tub.

They all got a quick shower and scrub before settling in to work on supernatural needs. Dan squeezed Chloe in a tight, naked hug as they got out, full of affection rather than lust. She hugged back. "What was that for?"

"Because I can."

Lucifer huffed. "What about me?"

"Yes, Dark Lord." Dan edged between the wings and hugged him from behind, crossing his arms over the broad chest and kissing the top of his ruffled, damp hair.

Dan and Chloe dried each other and then donned matching black silk robes, much to Lucifer's disappointment. Chloe came around the other side, with the right wing between herself and Dan, so they could work together.

She kissed him and grabbed a sponge. "This is a mess. You're sure we can't just soak you?"

He twitched. "Even if you did, it's still going to take a great deal of hand cleaning. And I'll be chilled to the bone if I have to sit around for hours with my wings soaking wet. It's not as fun as it sounds."

The first passes of warm sponges and soap left puddles of dirty water seeping toward the floor drain in minutes. She wrung out her sponge less often than Dan, since the inside of the wing wasn't as badly stained with blood, just fine ash.

Lucifer shifted in the tub a few times, unhappy with being _taken care of._ Gradually, he settled down, some part of his brain deciding the humans weren't going to eat him or something. Or at least not in a way he wouldn't thoroughly approve of. The tub stayed hot and he started to nod off when the food arrived. A ding signaled the arrival of Chinese take-out. With a cautious, "thanks!" and the quick departure of the delivery guy, Chloe got up to give her arms a break, stuffing a steaming eggroll in her mouth as she came back. "Want one?"

He opened his mouth eagerly and she fed him, grease escaping down his chin. She dove in to lick it off his face before it got to the water. Before she could pull back, he grabbed her and hauled her into the bath, grinning.

"AH! Lucifer!" Her protests muffled under his kisses, but she drew back and glared. "Now I have to change robes!"

He unbelted her robe under the water. "Oh dear."

She swatted him and stood, the wet silk robe clinging to her body like a lover. "This is only going to make everything take longer, you know."

Dan grinned.

Lucifer chuckled. "You _could_ leave it off."

"Gawd." She stepped back out, stripping off the robe and tossing it in the hamper bin with exaggerated force. She had to wring out her hair too.

She came back and sat on the edge of the tub, naked, and ran her fingers through his hair, picking up her sponge. "What do you look like? The other way?"

He took her wrist, kissing her palm. "Nothing you'll ever see. Nothing to worry about."

"You can't really be in Hell without it, can you? That demon almost got you, didn't she?"

Dan paused his hands, one of the larger vanes between his sets of fingers. "Is that true?"

The man in the bath looked up at her miserably and her heart hurt for him. Lucifer was silent so long she thought he might not speak. "I'm out of homes. I never _wanted_ to go back, of course, but without my Devil face, I'm much more vulnerable while there. I cast _myself_ out of Hell but I could always visit, take short trips, that sort of thing. Since losing my other form, well, it's much harder to be there at all. I ended up in an ash cloud because I missed my intended destination. It was like slipping on ice getting in. Now, well, now I have neither Heaven or Hell, not truly. I'm fearful of returning Maze back to Hell alone. She'll be stigmatized for leaving me. For being away so long. On top of everything else, I won't be able to protect her."

Speak of the demon. "I can handle it, boss."

Dan ducked before he remembered he had on a robe and was hidden by wings. "Jesus!"

"I'd say 'wrong deity' but I'm not one at all. Try again." Maze had a stolen egg roll. "You guys look like you enjoyed the ride back. He's lucky I like driving the Cadillac."

Chloe crossed her arms over her breasts. "Do you mind?"

Maze strolled all the way in, ignoring Chloe's discomfort. "Hey, can I join you in the tub? I need a scrub too."

Lucifer shrugged and Chloe gaped at him. Dan looked merely bemused.

Lucifer seemed genuinely confused. "It's only a _bath_ , detectives. There's absolutely nothing we haven't seen of each other. Or done, for that matter."

Maze stripped off her tight black top and her lacy black bra underneath came off next. "Don't worry, I'll stay in my end of the pool. Hey, Decker, I have a really wonderful cock that works great as a strap-on, he just adores it, if you want to borrow it."

Dan wanted a photo of Chloe's face in that moment to frame and keep forever. She blinked several times, found another robe and tried not to stare at Maze as she stripped, blushing to her toes and just as clearly thinking about the offer. "Is...uh...that...uh...sanitary?"

Lucifer beamed. "Oh, I know the one. I haven't seen it in quite some time."

"Of course you haven't. It's _mine_ and you've turned me down every time since hooking up with Decker. I'm only thinking about being nice and lending it, seeing how I'm not going to get to use it on you again. I think it's getting lonely."

Maze licked her lips and dropped in the tub, her feet weren't even all that close to Lucifer's in the space. She met Dan's eyes, smiling evilly. He firmly put the thought of a four-way out of his brain. He didn't think Chloe would go for it.

The demon sighed in the water. "Silicone is easy to sanitize. Back in the day, we had to make do with glass. Ceramic dildos were around too, but not always sealed properly. And don't get me started on the wooden ones - there's really places you never want to even _think_ about having splinters. Plus, lube wasn't always easy to find."

Dan asked, "what did you use?" He finished with the first wing and moved to the other. Lucifer tilted a little, eyes closed and leaned toward Dan like a cat getting scritches.

She found a loofah and started scrubbing herself. "Aloe, usually. Oils weren't always available. For humans, spit really isn't good enough for anal. But it is for _me_. I'm - almost - as pain resistant as Lucifer, normally. Plus, female anatomy - I still have my own lubrication, and Lucifer really know how to get me wet enough to make me drip."

Said Devil looked like he wanted to disagree on pain resistance differences but let it go. It's not like they ever did clinical trials for that kind of thing.

Chloe half turned, working on the second wing with Dan. "So, my weird thing doesn't affect you?"

"Nope." Her lips turned up. "You could grab a nice, thick toy and just ram me all day long. But lube does make it nicer for my partners and they last longer." She shrugged and eyed Lucifer's face, as if just noticing. "Your eyeliner is all fucked up. Whose thighs did you face plant into?"

Lucifer grinned and pointed at Chloe, who squeezed her sponge over his head. He swept away the water, his smile unwavering and mischievous. "I didn't hear any complaints at the time. Even with my ears covered by those lovely legs."

Maze chuckled darkly. "So, have you done double pen yet, roomie?"

Chloe started as she translated the question. She glanced down Lucifer's torso, where his erection was still quite visible to her, through the suds. She swallowed and groaned. "I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. He's, well, you know and Dan's not actually _that_ far behind in size."

"Well, at least it's not a 'never'. You're clearly making progress which is more than I can say for any number of more boring humans. Lucifer making a sex sandwich is something to behold. Or be in. Say what you want about his Parents. But They knew what They were doing when They made him." She rolled her lower lip in her teeth. One of her hands cupped a breast. "Hmm. I can attest to Dan's sizing, though I do lack a side-by-side comparison. Wanna lose the robe and come out of hiding, _Daniel?"_

"No."

"Hmmm. You could at least let me take care of him once in a while, for old times' sake. Lucifer and I haven't had sex in almost a year, actually, and I miss the marathon fucking. I haven't met a human, male or female that can keep up with me."

Chloe growled. "Mine. Ours. Whatever. You've had ages with him already."

Lucifer beamed up at her. "It's true. Maze is just going to have to find other entertainment. Unless you change your mind about a smaller, invite-only orgy, of course, dear."

Dan choked on air.

Chloe gave Lucifer the stink-eye. "No. You two are mine. I'm not ready to share."

Her ex-husband looked like he wanted to hug her again. "Ditto."

Maze grumped, but went back to washing. "Fine. Boss, give me your feet." She scooted part-way around and he happily put his feet in her lap where she began scrubbing between his toes. He moaned in pleasure. It was downright hedonistic but she really couldn't argue with the view, his head back, throat exposed, looking like a ruler and his attendants. Chloe carefully wiped away his smudged black makeup, cleaning his face gently. He caught her lips in another kiss. Dan couldn't help but feel warm all over, being an active part of this, knowing she wanted him here.

Then Chloe threw Dan a slightly judgey-in-his-opinion look over the wing. "Hey, when did Maze see you naked?"

He bit his lip. "Funny story. She...uh. Well, knowing she's a demon makes it easier to say, I guess, but she knocked me out, stripped me naked and left me in your bed. She must have done it herself too."

Dan was rewarded with a laughing fit from her. Chloe wiped tears from her eyes. "Why? When?"

"A few weeks after Lucifer came into our collective lives."

Maze snorted. "You were supposed to have sex, get back together and leave Lucifer alone. That didn't work at all."

Chloe gaped. "I don't just have sex with naked men in my bed. Even my exes!"

"Why not? He's pretty hot. Maybe not in that pink little number he showed up in, but naked he's much more appealing."

"I mean, yeah, but still. Pink...My pj's? Dan?"

Lucifer cackled. "Oh yes, I might still have the security footage around somewhere. And I find him appealing either way. Naked or clothed."

Mollified, Dan pulled another feather straight, aligning it with the others with a careful tug. "Hey, I guess Maze will have to live here too?"

Chloe grunted. " _She_ might like the smell of ash."

Maze started rubbing his feet, his stupidly long toes too close to her breasts and dark nipples for Chloe's comfort level. Maze concentrated on her work, digging in with her thumbs. "What ash?"

"Lucifer brought back a smoke bombs worth of Hell-ash, unintentionally. Our entire apartment is coated due to central air venting. Lucifer's paying to clean it, but we're not going to be home in the meantime. I don't know if it's toxic, but I don't see how it wouldn't be."

Maze perked up. "Oh? I should go home and pack some bags for you so you don't have to go back in just yet."

"You're offering to?"

She stood up and Dan made a slightly strangled noise as water and suds dripped off her body. Chloe rolled her eyes at him. Maze toweled off. "That shit's like scented candles and home to me. I'm gonna go collect as much as I can before your cleaners get too thorough. I'm stealing some of your take-out too. You need me to collect your kid later?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Maze?"

The demon was no longer paying attention to any of them. "If I can get enough, I might be able to have a new, extra blade made - won't be Hell-forged, but could still be something nice. In case something interesting turns up."

Chloe snorted. "More interesting than another demon?"

"The hilt though, that'll be tricky. Maybe I can get more wood from a crucifixion cross. Goat leather is easier…"

She dressed and left, leaving questions unanswered in her wake.

Lucifer chuckled. "Well, you did want her gone."

"Was I that obvious?"

Dan finished the tip of the wing. "Yeah, a little. How's that feel, Luce?"

He stretched the wings, and they were much more supple. Dan blinked several times as he was reminded of the power they held, how he had just been touching something not quite of this world.

Lucifer nodded. "Better, thank you for not soaking them. How do they look?"

"Like-" he started to say something very wrong. He hesitated. Chloe must have heard his brain because she winced sympathetically.

The Devil sighed. "Are you _trying_ to flip the roles and be punished? I can think of lots of different and better ways for you to misbehave."

"Wait, on purpose?" He started going back over the first wing, searching for spots he missed and any broken vanes that would have to be plucked.

"Certainly. Mostly innocent infractions, such as escaping bonds early - ones which happen to be perfectly escapable. Things like not putting my toys back up in a certain way or stocking the wrong brand of orange juice. Each incorrect action requires a response, greater or lesser depending on your mood."

" _My_ mood?"

Lucifer smiled brightly. "Darling, didn't you know the submissive in a relationship has _all_ the power. I can do nothing to you that you don't permit. As tonight, the roles can be flipped, or even non-existent most of the time. Trying to keep up that sort of thing 24/7 is exhausting, frankly." He turned in the tub to look at Dan seriously. "We did the _punishment_ thing yesterday, but I don't want you to feel or think it's required with me. It should be fun for both of us, and need not be a permanent aspect of our…" He tried to come up with an appropriate word.

Chloe smiled, kissing his cheek. "Our sexy fun times with our boyfriend?"

Dan's brain was stuck all the way back on _relationship_ and hadn't even caught up to Chloe's word choices _._ "We haven't had a real date yet, you know, it's been kinda crazy."

Chloe leaned over a wing without touching it and kissed him. "I think we're past the point of needing to. We should still do a date night. Tacos? And I like seeing you with Lucifer's marks all over your skin."

He touched her face like it might break. "I'm going to make mistakes."

"Not like before." She had a hand on Lucifer's shoulder, who watched them curiously. "So will I...I loved you once, Dan. Deeply. It's hard to sort out what I felt then and what I felt now. What you did was out of protection, but we _both_ fell out of love, I think, because of a lot of different reasons. We're different people now. I don't think I would be giving you another chance if not for Lucifer. And, yeah, this was my idea, before -" she let go and flapped her hands.

Lucifer started to pull her into the tub again. She squealed and fell into the wing instead, laughing. He used it to pull her against his shoulder. "I do hope you aren't holding my heritage against me."

She ran her fingers through his hair, smiling. "You won't say it first, but I love you, Lucifer. You and all your weirdness. You don't have to say it back either just because I said it. I mean it."

His eyes lit up, his small and slightly sad smile present, but hopeful. "I hope I can, soon. Thank you."

He and she kissed. They were lovely together. Dan remembered that for all the good intentions in the world, he was still outside of a match seemingly put in place by _God_. Then Chloe kissed him again. "I loved you, Dan. I wish I could say for sure I will again. But I think so. I believe in you, again. You always tried to make me happy, and you gave us Trixie. I regret that we fell apart, but I can't feel bad about it now." She touched his face. "And I'm glad you're here now. I realize that if this doesn't work, I'm the one who has to tell you. Not Lucifer. He wants what I want, and right now, I want you here. I hope I still do tomorrow and next week and next month, but I'm not as naive I was at 20 when we met. God or no God, we don't always get happy endings. But we can try."

She sighed and smiled. "And I have no idea what his Dad thinks of the three of us but I don't really care that much. _Yours_ liked me, as I recall. Your mom was harder to please."

"Nah she loved you right away. She just hid it. Her sisters though..."

They smiled at each other. "Can you imagine what you're going to tell them? About us?"

Dan's brain broke in several directions. "Nope. I am not going to think about that for now, at all. Maybe later. Probably not though. That is going far, far to the back of my brain where I don't have to worry about it."

Lucifer gestured for Dan to come around to his other side, pulling him in for a kiss. "You aren't ashamed of me are you? I won't have that."

"No, it's more the previous non-history of boyfriends. Oh and the poly aspect. It's a hurdle for another day."

Lucifer made a displeased noise.

"Yeah, I know. _Humans."_


End file.
